Posts in the 'Sponsored Posts' Category
March 9th, 2010 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Whenever we throw a party, guest-ertainment is always at the top of our list. Getting your guests involved can be the thing that takes your party from ho-hum hoedown to an all out throw-down… so when we started working on the Kick Ass Cake Bash, Hunter, Leslie, Earl, Beth and I immediately started hatching plans for fun.
The event space looked amazing, thanks to Beth Helmstetter’s hardworking team. One of my favorite details was these Origami Cranes hanging from the rafters.
Origami cranes by Michelle Chang.
The Dollhouse Hair & Makeup team was on hand to do glittery and bedazzled bad-ass cupcake tattoos, or chopstick accessorizing for the ladies’ hair.
I kinda love it. PS: my dress cost all of $12 thanks to a sale at Tulle!
They also dolled up our Alfred Angelo wedding gown models from NTA Talent – and those ladies were looking super lovely!
The models loved their Alfred Angelo gowns!
We love photo booths, but wanted something unexpected and quirky to match the kitschy Japanese inspired theme… and Oh, Snap! Studios was the perfect find! They brought in a freaking adorable Japanese tea house setup and some of the craziest props I’ve ever seen! The silly poses people came up with kept me laughing every time I walked past their station. I loved it! Check out more of our funny photos on the Oh, Snap! website gallery!
I love the hamburger helper hands!
As a couple of serious foodies, we know there’s nothing worse than being at a party and leaving hungry, so we had food and drink coming out the wazoo, yo. Not only were there sweets enough to send a nation into diabetic shock from Fantasy Frostings stunningly gorgeous dessert display, but delicious savory bites from The Food Matters, yummy and healthy cocktails from O.N.E. beverages, and a Pinkberry yogurt bar on the way out the door at the end of the night. If that wasn’t enough, we sent home Kick Ass Cake Bash cookies from Weddingish in the gift bags, along with issues of The Bride & Bloom magazine, lipgloss tins from e.l.f. cosmetics, and a few other goodies. Yeah, we like our guests fat and happy. And who could resist the adorable “maids” of Royal/T Cafe?
The waitresses at Royal/T Cafe dress in these adorable outfits!
Speaking of the dessert display, Leslie had a stroke of brilliance when she invited her girlfriends from The Bachelor to create inspiration boards from which she then designed the cakes and displays. DeAnna Pappas, Amanda Rantuccio, Holly Durst, and one of our intrepid photographers, Holly Steen from Cakes and Kisses Photography created diverse and dreamy inspirations that we hung next to the confections so our guests would understand that each cake in the Fantasy Frostings’ Broke-Ass Cake Collection is custom designed with the bride and groom with the same full-service attention that their celebrity clients love so much.
Holly's was pink, feminine and romantic.
....And her cake was just as girlie and delicate as she is.
DeAnna’s was my favorite, and they designed the whole dessert table after hers – all pink lemonade-y and refreshing.
A mouthwatering feast for the senses.
A flavor party in your mouth!
Holly Flora’s work was a huge influence on our wedding flowers, so when Beth suggested having her create a work of floral art for the event, I was so hyped! The floral mural she created was unbelievably luscious and exquisite. The guys from Aspect Lighting came in and made this mural absolutely glow in an ethereal warmth. It was stunning! They made the party spaces so much warmer and sexier, and projected some ultra trippy and cool effect onto the dance floor.
I just wanted to lay on it and roll around.
As broke-asses, we’re suckers for free swag, and we definitely wanted to give our partying buddies something to remember the night by, so having Family Industries on hand to do on-demand custom screen printing of Broke-Ass T-shirts was ridiculously awesome. The guys who run Family Industries are straight up rad dudes, the kind you want to grab a beer with, and so creative and nice. They brought 4 screens and let guests choose which artwork they wanted and where to place it. Most popular style? Strategically placed boobie cupcakes. They also printed a cuppie onto Hunter’s tie so he was the most stylin’ (and sweet) hubby in the room. I smell a new wedding trend… how dope would it be to go to a friend’s wedding and get a cool tie or t-shirt as a favor?
Guerilla fashion.
Gives new meaning to the nickname "sweet tits"
Then of course, we had the amazing, the radical badical, the ever-jamtastic Flashdance DJ spinning beats all night. I can’t count how many compliments we got on the DJ that night, and it just proved once again, that Michael is the only DJ for us. As Hunter so eloquently put it during our (spastic and ineloquent thank you’s) when recalling the time I sprained my ankle dancing my face off at our wedding – “Michael is the only man who ever hurt my wife, and I thanked him for it”. Not only a totally genius musical ninja, but a good friend that I love partying with whether its over beers at a neighborhood haunt, or in a room with 400 caked-up revelers.
Spinning beats like a freak!
And my favorite entertainment moment of the evening, when after our thank you’s, Hunter and our friend K.U. performed a rap they had composed especially for the occasion, surprising everyone in attendance and showing off their mad skillz. There are few things sexier than a husband who writes raps for his wife, I’ll tell ya…. I love to watch him perform!
"Rock your Broke-Ass"
I really have to give it up to Beth Helmstetter, without who’s planning prowess and flawless execution of the evening, we’d have been utterly lost. She brought some amazing ideas to the table, and made our vision for the evening come to life in unexpected and wonderful ways. I can’t imagine doing it without her, she was a lifesaver of awesomeness.
We also want to give major props to our sponsors The Bride & Bloom magazine and NTA Talent. Without their support and generosity, none of this would have been possible. We are so proud to have had them be such a major part of the evening – and loved getting to celebrate all together!
All in all, it was a totally memorable and unique event, and so nice to get to host all our friends with fun and interactive elements, lots of delicious food and drink, and all the broke-ass love in our hearts.
All photos by the fabulous Shannon Lee.
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!
February 11th, 2010 by The Fresh Hubby
When searching for an engagement ring I had no idea where to start. The only two things I knew were: This is going to be the most money I’ve ever spent on one item and I don’t want to get ripped off.
The only place I could think of to go to get an idea for diamond values was L.A.’s Downtown Diamond District. I wandered the shady streets of downtown, going from shop to shop, with each dealer dropping a bag of shiny stones… echoing each other with the calls of, “I give you good price. How much you have? I give you good price.”
Oh, if only I had known of Whiteflash.com. Without spending a dime they have loads and loads of content to educate the ignorant groom-to-be. It is the perfect place to start your shopping adventure. Once you’re done being educated, any fella will feel more confident in their buying ability than when they bought that big screen t.v.
Bling to the blingity bling!
Whiteflash takes the stress out of shopping for a diamond. Being a member of the Better Business Bureau program you know Whiteflash rolls with a reliable crowd. Each diamond has been independently analyzed, and comes with an according certificate. If that’s not enough, they have a ten day money back guarantee, will buy back your diamond for up to a year after your purchase, and if you strike it rich they’ll let you upgrade to a bigger better rock for as long as you both shall live!
She'll have to say "Yes" or at least, "Oooh Shiney!"
There is no way to cut corners on the price of a quality diamond. The most you can ask for is the confidence that you purchased an excellent stone at a competitive price. Whiteflash gives you all the tools and selection, so that you can get down on one knee with confidence.
Does a little bling sound nice? Check back with us VERY SOON to see how you can win some. Cause the only thing better than shopping with confidence is winning like a bandit.
February 4th, 2010 by The Fresh Hubby
“I just don’t know. I just don’t know! What do you think?” she asked.
“I don’t know either!” He replied, confused.
This is most likely the conversation you had or will have when trying to decide on your “It has to be within our budget, but it also has to be perfect Honeymoon” honeymoon. At least this was our experience. In the end, my sister saved us from our abyss of indecision and took over the planning. If she hadn’t, I imagine we would have paid through the roof as airline tickets rised and we finally made a last second decision. How I wish we had known the folks at Bliss Honeymoons & Destination Weddings!
The agents at Bliss Honeymoons will give you the personal service that you thought only still existed in episodes of Mad Men… and they’ll probably end up saving you money too.
Don't be these guys...
...Be These Guys!
For our Honeymoon, we decided that Mexico was the one international location within our budget. In our trip-planning process we stared and stared at tiny pictures of “all inclusive” resorts, trying to delineate differences in between them all. Having no idea when the pictures were taken, we had no idea of the current condition of any place, nor did we know what “All Inclusive” meant. Some places it meant everything and other places it meant, “Senor, all inclusive only includes Montezumas Tequila.” But what about the horrifying hangover the next day? “Oh yes, that is included as well.”
What we would have done to be able to consult with the folks at Bliss Honeymoons! Between all the agents they have traveled practically every corner of the earth. As Bliss’ founder Laura Frazier says, “We’ve eaten the food and slept in the beds, so we know if it’s the right place.” Fortunately they do more than just honeymoons, because as I write this the more I feel I should never go to a resort again before I have a conversation with the folks at Bliss.
We thought we were saving money by using a website that pressured us to book immediately so we could catch the “Can’t Miss Sale!!!” but Laura says, “What most people don’t realize is that all travel agencies, both on and offline, get paid the same. Hotels set their pricing assuming that they are going to have to pay a travel agent. So when people book themselves, they’re still paying for the services and knowledge of an agent, but they’re not getting it.”
Besides not charging a fee Bliss often can offer you payment plans (an option we certainly didn’t have).
Boy oh boy, could we have used an agent on our side. With the company we used, we not only felt devoid of an advocate, we also felt that hotels loved to blame our booking company for misconceptions, and thus refused to take any responsibility. That’s not the case with Bliss. The first thing you do is meet with a real person, who will find out what you are like and what you will like. Then they work to find the best deals for your desires and budget. They have a strong reputation and strict guidlines for the vendors that they work with.
So now, you can go on your vacation worry free, knowing that no one is going to mess with your Bliss.
February 2nd, 2010 by The Fresh Hubby
Have you ever been left lightheaded, and the only thing that you can manage to get out of your dangling mouth is, “……… ………. wow!”? Well that is exactly what happened to me, Dana and our friend Johnny when we went to see Cirque du Soleil’s KA in a little place called Las Vegas.
Cirque shows are a great alternative bachelor/bachelorette party idea. I went to Vegas for a close friend’s bachelor party early last year. On the first night we were giddy gents and went to see the obligatory burlesque show, which was fun, naturally. The second night we went to Cirque’s Love. The first night I clapped and chuckled. The second night I found myself teary-eyed, saying “It’s so beautiful. It’s just so friggin’ beautiful.” Now imagine learning that at a bachelor party: Seeing half naked ladies is fun but something truly beautiful and awe inspiring is a thing called Love.
A little while back, when we were attending The BlogWorld expo in Vegas, the delightful people of Cirque du Soleil gifted us tickets to KA while we were in town. If you’ve ever seen a Cirque show, you know that there was only one thing to say: ” uh… Yes Yes Please!”
If you haven’t seen a Cirque show you HAVE to. As an artist it fills me with pride and wonder, and as an eternal kid it fills me with excitement and joy. With every show, Cirque always takes the human body’s ability and the mind’s imagination, and pushes them to the limit. The touring shows put a fantastically deluxe spin on the classic big tent circus, but when in Vegas (with the luxury of a permanent venue), they create an experience unlike anything you can imagine.
The creatures that greet you the moment you walk into the theatre make KA fun before it has even begun. Then you nestle into your (very cozy and oversized) seats, each equipped with speakers in the headrest so every spectator can enjoy the sounds, music and ambiance in surround sound.
Shortly into the show a floating stage, covered in sand appears. Out of the sand a human-sized crab and turtle popped out and start dancing and playing. Its just one of many fun moments that leave you completely taken off guard and wondering what comes next. Once the scene comes to a close, the stage starts to tilt forward. I thought “Wow, it totally looks like that sand could fall ri… holy crap all that sand is falling off!” The entire stage went completely vertical! A couple of actors came out and made the most beautiful and remarkable shadow puppets, which projected onto the now vertical stage; but apparently the scary creature that suddenly appeared in the aisle next to me hates shadow puppets, because he and his entire posse started shooting arrows at the couple, which lodged into the vertical platform. Then a huge chase began and people started scrambling straight up the platform, using the arrows as climbing pegs. But as if things weren’t crazy enough, the platform started spinning. A thrilling and chilling chase/battle ensued with people and creatures flying hundreds of feet off of the spinning platform that treats its victims like pinballs.
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We jumped out of our seats more times than I can count, and cried, laughed, ooohed and ahhhed sometimes simultaneously! It was an amazing experience. One that any artist dreams he could take credit for, and every spectator wishes they had the skills to star in.
To envelop an audience in an unearthly experience, exciting them each step of the way, is a gift that only the highest form of art can create. So if you’re in Sin City and in the mood to experience more than just sin (there is merit to that, too) but want to see the beauty of life and art, check out a KA at the MGM Grand, and say, “….. …… wow.”
January 22nd, 2010 by The Broke-Ass Bride
I’m happy to announce the winner of our Day of Coordination contest, sponsored by Wendy at Just Wenderful (whom I adore)!
As Wendy puts it:
“After reading all the entries, I narrowed it down to an awesome 7 ladies. I had some lovely people help me vote for their favorite out of my seven and wa-lah! Yesenia was the popular choice! Congratulations! I look forward to meeting and working with you!
To all the other brides, we would still love to work with you! If you contact us within the month of January and book us we’ll offer you a “broke-ass” discount! Contact us @ wendy@justwenderful.com”
Congrats Yesenia! You’re in good hands, now! Please email Wendy to claim your prize.
December 17th, 2009 by The Fresh Hubby
“This wedding is the most money I’ve ever spent on anything. Can we just ask our guests for cash?” You can hint, you can pray, but no you cannot ask. But you can register for the entire cost of your honeymoon at Buy Our Honey Moon.
Buy Our Honeymoon allows you to create a completely customized registry of anything you can possibly imagine and set the price point you would like.
Our newest Sponsor!
While the ultimate guava and carrot peeler/slicer contraption may seem like a must have now, the place it is most likely going is the return aisle. Why not opt for the gift of experience with the new partner in your life? Your imagination is the limit when you register with Buy Our Honeymoon. Trust us, your loved ones would rather envision you enjoying their gift of parasailing, rather than sitting down to dinner with the silver owl candlesticks that your Auntie Booboo thought were just “soooo precious”. On Buy Our Honeymoon, whatever your loved ones purchase for you is placed directly in your account as a big pile of cash that you can dedicate to how you most see fit in your new life. If you don’t blow it all on the honeymoon, than you can go on a shopping spree for those still needed items or make those new wedding credit card bills magically disappear.
Your guests got nothin' but love for ya'
Easy Peesy
“But,” you protest, “those honeymoon sites either take a chunk of our money for each purchase or they are covered with ads, and that’s not classy.” Ah… but not Buy our Honeymooon, young grasshopper. Buy Our Honeymoon charges you a one time fee and thats it. No ads, no commissions. Just a cozy classy registry that you can customize with your pics and their provided templates. They even have multiple url names to choose from, so that you can pick the registry site name that best suits your style. International Guests? No problem, Buy Our Honeymoon converts currency and takes several major credit cards. They’ll give you tips as to how best set up your registry and everything.
You have enough to worry about when it comes to your wedding. Finding the perfect toaster oven shouldn’t be something you stress about. Just dream big, and stick those dreams in your Buy our Honeymoon registry. Then after the wedding you’ll have a lot of stress free fun to look forward to. Your loved ones will love helping your dreams come true.
