Heather's Glen offers the finest in Houston TX wedding venues in Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas

My life changed yesterday.  I had a real, big girl bra fitting by a professional.  And guess what?  I’d been wearing one size too big, and two cups too small!  I know what you’re thinking:  everyone already figured this out when Oprah did a show on it.  Well I missed that show.  I missed a lot of daytime TV when I was in school from the ages six through twenty-three.  (I have no idea when that show aired actually).  But whoa! 

I went to Soma at The Woodlands mall, clutching a coupon, in need of some new undergarments.  After looking for what I believed to be my size for several years, Jennifer, the amazing manager tilted her head to one side, touched her measuring tape that hung around her neck, and asked gently, “Are you SURE that’s the size you’re looking for?” 

“I’m pretty sure.”

“Have you ever actually been measured?”

“No…”  I admitted.  Shuffled feet.

Well let me tell you.  Jennifer whipped out that tape over her head and measured me in a matter of seconds.  After announcing my new and accurate size, I laughed.  Impossible!  I mean, do the math.  It’s like if you thought you were a 34A and a professional told you that you were in fact a 32C.  Big difference!  I didn’t believe it.  But I became a believer quickly, once I put my new size bra on!  It was like a miracle lift!

And may I just talk a little more about Jennifer?  She’s not messing around.  She doesn’t just give you this new information and move on.  She works with you to find the best style for you, adjusts you, laughs at your jokes, and teaches you about proper undergarment wash and care.  It was like I went to this awesome class with the best teacher ever.  And my homework is just to wear the correct size from now on.

I know what you’re thinking: could this blog possibly be at all wedding related?  YES!  Undergarments are a huge part of wedding day wardrobe for all of the women in the party!  The bra, corset, or slip can make or break your gown.  The right undergarments can make you stand up straighter and feel ten pounds lighter, not to mention keeping certain body parts where they belong in the dress! 

P.S. I had never been to Soma before.  But I am now a proud wearer of the “Allura”- aka the best bra ever!

I am so pleased to have just come across a site called www.recycledbride.com.  Am I the last to know about this brilliant site?  It is a FREE marketplace for new and gently used wedding items.  Think wedding ebay, but free!  Think gently used couture gowns, inexpensive!  Think hard to find discontinued bridesmaid dresses that you’ve been eyeing since before your engagement.  You get it. 

They also have other awesome info, like 11 Sustainable Wedding Trends for 2011 by Tracy DiNunzio.  Check ‘em out!

1. Diamonds are no longer a girl’s best friend: Inspired by the sapphire ring that Prince William gave to Kate Middleton, alternative gemstones are all the rage for engagements in 2011. Brides will express their individual style — and avoid conflict diamonds — with rings made of colored stones like sapphires, emeralds, and rubies, and sparkly diamond alternatives like moissonite and synthetic diamonds.

2. Chalkboard chic: Stylish slate signs will take the place of paper wedding programs, seating cards, and menus. Chalkboard signs can be made to look elegant and fancy or sweet and rustic, and can be created inexpensively at home using scavenged picture frames, chalkboard paint, and a little creativity. Reducing paper waste at your wedding never looked so stylish!

3. Weddings go local: Farmer’s market menus and locally sourced favors and gifts are hip as can be this year. By doing their wedding shopping locally, couples minimize their carbon footprint, support their local economy, and delight guests with unique details they won’t find elsewhere. This trend caught fire after Chelsea Clinton’s locally lovely wedding in Rhinebeck, New York, and will continue well into 2011.

4. The “staycation-moon”: The popular staycation trend meets the honeymoon as couples skip the expense and carbon footprint associated with honeymoon travel in favor of romantic hometown adventures. Picture a week of museum visits, local theater and sporting events, park picnics, bucket-list adventures, and romantic dining — no luggage required!

5. Intimate weddings: Weddings with small guest lists create less waste, offer more warmth, and give couples tons of flexibility when choosing a location. Intimate wedding celebrations range from elegant multi-course dinners in hotel penthouses to backyard barbecues featuring local bands and brews.

6. Cocktail wedding dresses: Short wedding dresses are all the rage, and just about every major bridal designer has debuted a knee-length collection for 2011. A cocktail-length dress can be worn again, and many are just as formal and elegant as a long gown. Look for short and sweet styles like these gently used wedding dresses, which are for sale on Recycled Bride right now.

7. Paperless Invitations: Electronic wedding communication is easier and prettier than ever, with companies like Glo offering stunning, interactive online save-the-dates, reply cards, invitations, and more. E-mail invites are less expensive than paper and help to reduce wedding waste.

8. Greener Gifting: Registries have gone green, with tons of new options for brides and grooms who want to receive ethically-made gifts and support the sustainable economy. Two of our faves are the Green Bride Guide Shop and The Knot’s Gift Registry 360, which lets couples create one centralized registry with products from any online retailer they choose. And green donation gifts, like Bluebell Giving Cards, will be popular as both wedding presents and guest favors.

9. Face Forward: Long veils are sitting on the sidelines this year, as brides forgo them in favor of birdcage styles and unique hair accessories that can be worn again. Expect to see 2011’s brides in headbands, vintage hair clips, flowers, and chic tiaras.

10. Flexitarian Feasts: Another trend inspired by Chelsea Clinton’s wedding is reducing the amount of meat on the menu. This year, more couples will offer vegetable- and grain-based meal options for their guests in an effort to save money and save the Earth.

11. Wedding Recycling: More brides, grooms, bridesmaids and guests than ever are shopping and selling on sites like RecycledBride.com. Smart users enjoy the financial, environmental, and social benefits of wedding recycling, and discover the joy of sharing, saving, and passing on treasured wedding items to other happy couples.

Awesome website with lots of great info!  Will you follow any of these trends in 2011?  Let me know!

I just want everyone to know that I’m not about to blog about makeup because I love it so much, but because I really do think Chanel’s Spring 2011 line is very wedding appropriate!

The collection, called “Les Perles De Chanel,” is “inspired by the lustrous, natural beauty of pearls, these delicate, luminous shades beautifully flatter face and fingertips.”  Every bride wants to be luminous on her wedding day!  A great way to accomplish that look is to wear makeup that isn’t overpowering. 

I still remember getting my own makeup done for my wedding, using Chanel’s eyeshadow quad “Nymphae.”  They don’t make it anymore!  I’m so glad I purchased it then- I still refer to it as my “wedding makeup.” 

What will your wedding makeup be?  Do you like this look?  Has anyone tried it yet? 

www.chanel.com

A lot of men like to propose in front of an audience.  Whether it’s for the entire restaurant to witness while a couple is out to dinner, or at a ball game on the jumbo screen, you hear stories of women blushing and being encouraged by strangers to accept all the time. 

I thought this was a fun proposal story.  The Portuguese woman is a flight attendant, and her boyfriend proposed over the P.A. microphone as she was working!  Watch the clip.

Each year the Pantone Color Institute forecasts the color of the year.  2010 was given turquoise, and they announced that 2011 will be radiating in “honeysuckle.”  Now, I don’t know about your lives, but here at Heather’s Glen, honeysuckle means this:

Well, for Pantone, honeysuckle means THIS:

As we learned last year, the “it” color in fashion translates over to the “it” color of weddings.   I don’t know why this color is called honeysuckle, but I love it, so let’s get to work and find out how to tie it into your wedding.  Here ya go.

www.katespade.com

www.wetseal.com

Alright, with the first half of the first month of the new year under our belts, how is everyone’s 2011 going so far?  Despite the yucky weather, brides are coming out to Heather’s Glen like crazy, still smiling from their recent engagements and with their manicures fresh to show off that new ring!  We are so happy for all of the lovely couples that got engaged over the holidays.  Does anyone have any exciting engagement stories to share?  I will totally blog it, so don’t be shy to email it over to me! 

I remember meeting with one couple a few months back (stop me if I’ve blogged this already), who shared a really sweet engagement story with me.  The couple woke up for a lazy Sunday morning, and while still in pajamas and drinking their coffee, the groom got on one knee and proposed.  Shocked and delighted, she of course accepted, and then get this- he had the rest of the day planned for the two of them!  They got massages, enjoyed a picnic lunch, and went out for a celebratory dinner.  Because they shared the intimate proposal first thing in the morning, they were able to really bask in their excitement all day.  I found this story unique because most people I know of (including myself!) were engaged over/before/after dinner! 

Has anyone ever been to a bridal show and watched one of the fashion shows?  Check this proposal out.  The couple are both in the fashion show, modeling a tux and a wedding gown:

What’re you doing this weekend?  I just decided for you.   

T. Carolyn is hosting a Casting Call for a Reality TV Series starring the Bride and her Mother! There is no obligation to buy and they need a few more mother/daughter participants. If you have always thought about being on TV, here is your chance…and what a better way than shopping with your mother for her gown at your wedding?

Emmy award winning non scripted/reality television producers are producing a series pilot with T.Carolyn and are looking for mothers and daughters for any of the days – January 7, 8, and 9, 2011. TCarolyn has specialized in Mother of the Bride dresses for 18 years and a major national network  production company is interested in documenting the mother /daughter shopping experience.  We’re interested in all people and would love for dynamic mothers and daughters to share your stories with us.    If you and your mother would like to be part of this production, please call T. Carolyn at 281.440.4696.

Thanks Perfect Wedding Guide, for getting me this information!  We’d looooove it if a Heather’s Glen bride represented!  THIS WEEKEND LADIES!