Posts in the 'Press/awards' Category
March 4th, 2010 by The Broke-Ass Bride
I’ve been trying to find words to tell you about the Kick Ass Cake Bash event (celebrating the launch of our Fantasy Frostings’ Broke-Ass Cake Collection), and describe the way it felt – but distilling it into words feels impossible this soon afterward. I’m deep in recovery mode after a whirlwind month of prep, and these photos speak far more eloquently than my tired ass can right now! So. I’ll be back with plenty more detail later, but for now, let’s hear what they have to say, I’mma head back to bed.

Unbelievably Luscious Floral Mural by Holly Flora

A Wonderland of Decadent Desserts

A Disco Dusted Mosaic Feast

O.N.E Drinks provided the healthy cocktails

Models rocking gorgeous Alfred Angelo Gowns

Cupcakes Nearly Too Cute To Eat

Me and our Partner Leslie Maynor of Fantasy Frostings! But where is her main man, Earl?

Oh THERE he is! Hm, do those girls look familiar? Oh snap , its DeAnna Pappas and Holly Durst!

The Flashdance, yo! We don't know how to party without him.

Weddingbee Love! Glitter, Moonbeam, Me, Sprinkle and Poodle!

A surprise rap performance by K.U. and.....

...The Fresh Hubby! Performing a broke-ass rap they wrote together! Get Broke!

What a rockstar! Le Swoooooon!
All photos by the amazing Holly Steen of Cakes and Kisses Photography!
December 22nd, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
The new Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine (Annual Worldwide Guide Edition) just came out last week, and guess whose broke-ass is gracing its pages? Ohhhhh snap!

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons
The article came out great, despite a tiny typo (Bride$haring alone saved us $2k, but that was just the tip of our savvy savings iceberg) – but we’re not sweating it. We ain’t got nothing but love for the kind folks at DWH, and are totally honored to have been included!
The whole fabulous magazine is absolutely chock-full of beautiful inspiration and valuable information – so what are you waiting for? Get out there and score your own copy today!
Thanks again, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine! We love you long time!
November 11th, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Oh my god y’all, we’re in a freaking magazine! Say WHAT!?
Wait, that ain’t me.
What’s that you say? You can’t read it? Too small? Well, let me blow that up for ya!
Holy potatoes, is it ever thrilling to see The Broke-Ass Bride in print! Lara Casey (editor of Southern Weddings) is one of my industry heroes and if you don’t already, I implore you to go check out the
Southern Weddings site and
Lara’s blog. Good stuff, trust.
When she invited us to be a part of this issue and share our advice, I looked pretty much the same way I look in that photo on the bottom right corner there. For serious, Hunter ran around the room clapping, and Paco was rapping “Go Broke-Ass its yer berfday” (cuz he’s gangsta), and I did a straight up booty dance of happiness in our living room.
So, go commemorate this momentous occasion by treating yourself to the gorgeous new Southern Weddings Magazine, it hits the stands today! (or, you can order it online, here!)
June 27th, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Like WOW, y’all. That’s what’s buck!

Thanks, Blogger. Thanks, Google!
And a big shout out to all my new readers – welcome! Take a peek around! Make yourself cozy. There’s cold ones in the fridge and I’m baking up something real fresh.
April 1st, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Well, after what was decidedly one of the funnest weekends in the history of womankind, I am very honored to have received some very high accolades in the past few days!
First, I was featured as “Blogger Crush of the Week” on YourTango.com! This is positively one of the most wonderful reviews I’ve ever received and I can’t stop beaming about it! Check it out:
How To Get Married Without Going Broke
Budget savvy brides hit the jackpot with the blog Broke-Ass Bride.
by Anne-Marie Scali
If Wall Street was as sensible and straightforward as Dana, the blogger behind Broke-Ass Bride, we’d all be sitting pretty right now and toasting the economy with an icy margarita in hand.
As confident in her style as she is her spending, Dana and husband-to-be, Hunter, are planning a Los Angeles-area wedding on what she affectionately describes as a “broke-ass budget.” A broke-ass budget is part frugality, part eco-friendly with a humorous twist that keeps both Dana and her readers laughing all the way to the bank.
Drawing an extra-large crowd to her blog for over a year, Dana discusses every part of her wedding plans with confidence and candor. Whether it’s digging up used décor or searching online for the best bridal bargains, or as she calls them, “broke-ass brilliance,” Broke-Ass Bride is a place for radical thinking and romantic notions that yes, dreams do come true. Case in point, the brilliant way in which Dana snagged her dream dress without breaking the bank.
“I checked out the designer’s website, and was stopped short. Could it be? It was AMAZING! It was crazy beautiful. But, my wallet shrank back in horror when it overheard the price …. In a moment of desperate clarity, I remembered a wise suggestion from my friend Ann-Giselle, and I blurted – “well, if ya ever need anyone to type a letter, I got mad skills…” I was at the mall with my mom and my sister when I got the phone call. It was the designer, offering me a partial-work trade for my dress if I can help out around the office. We all jumped up and down and squealed and got emotional. I felt like Cinderella, on The Price is Right.”
While most wedding fantasies will have you believe that getting married is synonymous with spending a fortune, Broke-Ass Bride defies that idea with a healthy dose of humor.
——-
Pretty frickin’ sweet, huh? Thanks, YourTango! And a special shout-out to Ann-Marie, who you also know from Perfect Bound, for the doubly sweet words over at her blog:
“This week my heart belongs to The Broke-Ass Bride who, in my opinion, should run for office after her run down the aisle. Just think about what a better state of the union we’d be in if we all admitted to a little frugality.”
——-
Hee hee.
Second, I was awarded “Most Comprehensive Blog” from Weddingblogawards.com!
They write:
“I don’t know if comprehensive is an adequate word to describe The Broke-Ass Bride. This site is filled with a step by step guide to planning a wedding on a budget. Dana gives brides an opportunity to watch along as she plans one of the biggest days of her life on a shoe string budget.
The Broke-Ass Bride talks about not only budget tips but everything from wedding dieting to last minute groomsmen cancellations. Dana is witty and charming, and to top it off she’s down to earth and real.
As her wedding date rapidly approaches The Broke-Ass Bride is one to watch!”
——-
Its always great to be recognized – but I could never so successful if it weren’t for my badass loyal readers. So, thanks to all of you!
Now, keep your panties on…. my ‘Bach-shower-lette Weekend’ Recap is on its way!
March 23rd, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
I’m honored to have been featured in Brides.com’s blog, The Wedded Bits – in their ‘Wed-site Roundup’!

Thanks, Brides.com! I rely on these roundup posts to help me find great reads, so its a special treat to be included.
Also a shout out to Marli, aka SexyRedFrame, for the blog love this week. She’s one of my favorite bloggers, and one of the most beautiful brides ever – so for heavens sake go over there and get your wedding porn on.

So, to pay the love forward, here are some more tasty morsels for y’all.
Elliequent
Project Subrosa
$10,000 wedding
17 beats
Always a Blogsmaid
The Bridal Inquirer
We Met in a Bar
Our Little Haus
Mint Design Blog
My Marrakesh
NieNie Dialogues
A Bird, A Carpenter & A Baby
Enjoy. Or, as the french would say… enjoi!
January 10th, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
I’m so incredibly flattered and humbled to have received the honor of being Pearls of Wisdom’s Bridal Blog of the Week, but even more touched by the redonkulously generous write-up that I received from them!
Its so rewarding to see how much support my site is getting in the bridal community. My readers are just the best (thanks!), and I certainly couldn’t (nay, wouldn’t!) do it without such a pimp bridal posse such as y’all. Rawk out with your rocks out! (engagement rocks, I mean!)

Awwwwwwww. We are pretty cute, I gotta admit.
It reads:
“The blogger extraordinaire of this weeks dynamic and information-packed Bridal Blog
is thirty year old, Los Angeles resident, Dana. Dana and her fiance’ Hunter have been dating since October 2002 when five years later- in October 2007, he popped the question…and of course, she said yes! Now they have a fabulous May 2009
wedding planned that Dana creatively chronicles under the moniker of ‘The Broke-Ass Bride
.The Broke-Ass Bride blog features loads of advice
,
her world
, planning tips
and lots of fun/funny anecdotals
along the way.
Dana and Hunter have dreamed up a magical wedding theme
, along with beautiful custom colors
and a to-die for venue
! Her posts takes you into her world of wedding planning, where, early in their engagement, she and Hunter were ‘dancing stars’ of their own right– for the very elegant and renown bridal magazine, ‘Bride & Bloom’. As selected guests of the magazine were asked to test drive bridal shoes vs dancing shoes
…they even got to keep the shoes!!!{How cool is that?!}.
Dedicated to the ‘Greening of the Earth’, Dana & Hunter’s wedding will be ‘a green’ wedding. Although they have won many couple competitions, THIS ONE
is nearest & dearest to their life’s { and wedding} mission. Give them some luv & support and cast your vote for them…here’s the detail
{yes, this is a shameless Stiebel promotion}.
She describes her budget as ‘tiny’, her love as ‘huge’ but her ‘Altar Ego’ has been lifted by many. Let me count the ways: writer in resident at,both, Elizabeth Anne Designs
and in ‘the hive’ at Wedding Bee
, offers up bridal tips on The Brides Guide
. She’s a ‘Bridal Wishpot Expert’
, a ‘must s
ee’ at Bliss Weddings and an author at Unbride
.
And if all of this is not enough, her blog
is the recipient of many awards including; Divine Caroline award
, the Uber award
and the Kreativ Blogger award, the Bookworm award
…now I know that I’m missing a few…um-m-m…
With all of this energy, insight and creativity, I will definitely stay tuned to the Broke-Ass Bride Part 2 …AKA… The Mrs Blog! CONGRATULATIONS Dana for being this week’s Bridal Blog of the Week!!!”
I mean, holy crap, could it be any nicer? I’m super impressed by the in-depth linkage she did. Its totally Broke-Ass Bride Cliff Notes
Thank you, Pearls of Wisdom! I’m *totally* blushing

November 21st, 2008 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Seeing Mrs. Jellybean’s post about being featured in The Bride & Bloom magazine totally reminded me that waaaaaay back when we were first engaged, we were selected for a feature on dancing shoes vs. bridal shoes. The Bride & Bloom provided a pair of each for the 3 brides involved, and a free dancing lesson for us all to test them out and give our opinions on their comfort and style. The best part? We got to keep the shoes, and got a pic in the magazine!

(image source) - look how small his hair is back then!
You can see my shoes were pretty different from one another. The ballroom shoes were pretty comfortable – they were much more cushioned and flexible in the sole, and the heel was sturdy and wide. They just weren’t exactly my style for the wedding. However, they did come in seriously handy for our Trash the Dress shoot! The designer pair was stunning…. really, that picture does them no justice. The only problem is that they’re horrifically uncomfortable! I can’t really wear them to dinner, much less dancing. Sadly, they’re just no good.

Ballroom shoes in action – img by Richelle Dante
The dance lesson was really fun, even if I had a hard time not leading
We were being videotaped and its supposed to be on the B&B website, but alas, it seems to have been vanquished from public viewing. We learned to foxtrot, waltz, and *my favorite* swing! We also got a coupon for one more free lesson to be used closer to our wedding date.
In the end, it seemed we all agreed that if we could blend the beauty of the designer shoes with the comfort of the ballroom, it would be the perfect combo of style and substance. But alas, it seems that never the twain shall meet…. at least not that day
I’m so glad to have found a pair that is both beautiful and cozy… and I plan to dress them up with some foot petals just to be super-duper sure that no blood is shed.
Are you planning on wearing designer shoes, or dancing shoes? Or have you found the ever elusive perfect blend?