Our Magical Wedding Part 5- Spotlight on Venue and Wedding Dress Shopping!

Posted on November 26, 2018 by thefashionminx

When planning a wedding, the two most important elements have to be the venue, and the wedding dress! In my blog series about my wedding, I saved the best for last! I am finishing this post on New Years Eve, which I think is fitting since it was the most significant event of the year for me!

Our Wedding was at the most magical place we could ever imagine… The Foundry in Long Island City. Once we saw it in person, we knew we had to get married there.

The lush green setting, with ivy covered walls, and flowers everywhere was a magical dream, set against the urban background of Queens, NYC…with the Queensboro Bridge in the background. Located right next to the water, The Foundry feels like an oasis set in the midst of the city. It was perfect. We worked with Lindsey Hamma and Angela Ortiz, and they could not have been more helpful in helping us chose our vendors and setting up our floor plan. I could not praise them enough!!!

Since The Foundry is a raw space, we were able to design the entire setup ourselves. We opted for long, rustic, banquet style tables and chairs. We wanted the dinner to be outside, and we worked with Ivie Joy Flowers to design the perfect floral centerpieces to flow down the center of the tables, and match the gorgeous surroundings.

We worked with Corinne’s Concepts in Catering for all the food and drinks, as well as the tables and chairs! Corinne and her staff were INCREDIBLE! They helped bring our vision to life, not only renting all the tables and chairs, but setting everything up from start to finish! They also set up our cocktail tables, and The Greenhouse for our ceremony!

It had rained every single day that week, but on the day of our wedding, we got the perfect, gorgeous sunny day, with the most beautiful clear blue sky! We knew someone up there had to be looking out for us.

Next: My Wedding Dress

When I began my search for the perfect wedding dress, I knew I had to go to Kleinfeld’s. The store is iconic, and the epitome of NYC class and style. To be honest, I was nervous going there the first time, I had read mixed reviews about people’s experiences there, from rude sales people, to a snobby atmosphere. But, I have to say that my experience was nothing like that at all. The staff could not be nicer and more helpful. They made me feel right at home from the beginning, bringing me dresses in multiple styles for me to try on.

(The Kleinfeld showroom is as elegant in person as it is on TV)

They had such a large selection of wedding dresses that I was sure I’d be unable to make a final decision. But once I told the incredible sales girls the look I was going for, which was a very ornate ballgown type dress, they brought me the perfect selection to chose from.

I chose this gorgeous dress by Eve of Milady. The moment I saw the beading and sparkle on the bodice, I knew it was the perfect dress for me.

What sold me most about this dress was the gorgeous flowing bottom, with a layer of sequin tulle underneath. It truly looked like a dress that Cinderella would wear. It had just the right amount of magic to match the gorgeous setting.

(Photos when I first tried on the dress at Kleinfeld’s!)

I tried the dress on, and it was perfect. I was bold at the time, and since we were 5 months out from the wedding, I ordered the dress in a size smaller than what I measured at the time, since I was planning on hitting my goal of losing 30 lbs by July 29th. With the help of my amazing husband to be, we both went on the Keto diet and the results were incredible! Chris lost 60 lbs by the wedding, and I lost 33! Not only did I fit into the smaller dress when it arrived, but it had to be taken in another size! So I dropped two sizes in 5 months! We never felt so amazing, but mentally and physically!

Check out Chris’s Instagram for our Keto lifestyle HERE, he posts new recipes every week!

I am so grateful to Akila at Kleinfeld’s for her incredible job altering and fixing the dress so that it was PERFECT!!! She’s literally the best and I had to give her a special shout out for all the work she did!

Thank you for following my 5 part series on our wedding! Happy New Year to everyone! May 2019 bring joy, peace, happiness, and good fortune to everyone! xoxo

Julie Rose

Our Magical Wedding Part 3 – Guest Post by the Groom, Chris Ferretti

Posted on September 10, 2018 by thefashionminx

(Photo by Glenmar Studio, Location is The Foundry)

Hey there. It’s me, the Groom! My lovely bride asked me to weight in with some advice to all the grooms (and groomsmen) out there looking for some quick tips to make your wedding as fantastic as possible.

Our wedding was an incredible day, and many things went into making it as wonderful as it was. I’m certainly not a wedding planner, but I do have some insight I can share with future grooms, and groomsmen out there.

TIP #1: TRY TO GET A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE. Me personally? I didn’t sleep a wink the night before my wedding. Of course it didn’t help that my hotel room was on the 5th floor, and the nightclub was on the 6th. So besides the never ending loop of “Murder She Wrote” echoing throughout my skull until 4am, I was also a complete nervous wreck.

My heart was beating like a jackhammer on crystal meth. And then I was anxious about being anxious (insert LOL + eyeroll here).

Next thing I knew the sun was coming up and off to the races we go.

So to all the grooms out there, do your absolute best to try to get a full nights rest the night before.

Some tips to accomplish this task? First, get to your hotel room early. That way you have plenty of time to unpack, lay out your necessary items, and maybe even order up a little room service before you hit the sack. I, unfortunately, made the mistake of waiting until the last minute, and ended up checking into my hotel at 12am.

If you can’t sleep, try sipping on some chamomile tea or even using some lavender oil to melt away any of those last minute jitters.

If you’re not able to get a full night’s rest, try these under eye patches which work wonders to reduce the swelling under your eyes (Luckily, my darling wife packed a few extra that I could use).

Speaking of darling wife…

Julie told me Sephora has a decent variety of these patches, and she also suggests THESE and THESE.

SUIT OR TUX?

(Photo by Glenmar Studio, Suits and ties from Suit Supply)

Both are excellent choices, but I personally decided to go with a suit because to me, a suit is more practical. And I wanted something me (and my groomsmen) would eventually wear again in the future. And when you’re spending this kind of money, I think having the option to wear your suit again is definitely a plus. And if you really think about it, the chances of you wearing a tux after your wedding are pretty slim. (But that’s not to say there aren’t some beautiful tux’s out there.)

I did look at a few tuxes and I liked THIS ONE, and THIS ONE. (Pretty fair prices too).

Bloomingdales and Nordstrom also had a great selection of tuxedos when I was originally searching.

But remember, this is your day too. So if you wanna wear a tux, go for it. Or if you’re like me and prefer a suit, then wear a suit. Wear whatever feels right for you.

Since this was a summer wedding, we wanted to stay with light colors that would compliment the setting as well as the bridesmaids’ dresses. The wedding was both indoor and outdoor at The Foundry, so there was lush greenery everywhere. The light grey of the suits kept us cool in the heat, the white dress shirt gave everything a nice canvas, and the pink ties blended well with the rest of the colors of the wedding party.

If you like grey suits, Bloomingdales actually has a few really nice ones like THIS ONE, and also THIS ONE.

GIVE YOURSELF AT LEAST 2 MONTHS TO GET YOUR SUIT/TUX SUIT HANDLED.
Since I was going the suit route I went to SUIT SUPPLY (which I highly recommend). They had a fantastic selection which comes in handy for a guy like me who’s build like a cigarette machine from 1984.

They had a large selection of different color options to choose from, and I picked out this nice light grey material, that they custom built from scratch for me and my groomsmen. I especially liked it because it had a real pomp and circumstance to it. The color had a true depth and dimension. Plus the staff at Suit Supply, were so incredibly helpful, and worked hard to make sure each of our suits fit perfectly.

My advice? Don’t wait until the last minute to get your suit situation handled. You want to have everything timed perfectly. That way you have plenty of time to have the suit made, as well as plenty of time for alternations. I needed 3 alternations before my wedding because my weight kept dropping (thanks to intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet,I actually lost over 60 lbs in less than 6 months).

Even a month after our wedding I’m still dropping and I feel better than ever. I swear I’m not trying to sell anything but I have to honest when I say it truly has changed my life! And if you’re out there reading this and you’re struggling with your weight: It’s not too late. You’re not too old. You’re not too fat. If I can do this, you can do this.

Again, no bullshit sales pitch. No agenda. Just honest advice on what’s worked for me in the hopes that it works for you too. If you want more info go here: KETOFERRETTI. And also check out my Instagram which has all my free KETO recipes and tips HERE!

GETTING THE RIGHT TIE.

I must’ve tried on dozens of ties before I found the one I chose for my wedding day. The thing that’s annoying about weddings is that everyone has an opinion.

“Oh you should wear this.”

“You should definitely wear that.”

Listen to me when I tell you:

THIS IS YOUR WEDDING

Don’t let well meaning friends or family push you into picking a tie (or anything else for that matter) that you absolutely don’t love.

I chose the tie I chose because there was something really unique about it. I loved the color and how it seemed to blend while at the same time also contrast with everything, and no matter how many other ties I looked at, I always seemed to go back to it.

But case in point, I had a dear friend who tried to push me towards another tie. A skinny tie that looked great on him, but for a big guy like me, looked like I was wearing a number 2 fucking pencil around my throat.

And anytime I said “No, I don’t think it works, it’s too skinny.”

He would fire back “No it’s not! It’s fine! You’re crazy! It’s all in your head!”

But I looked in the mirror and I knew in my heart of hearts that it was, indeed, too skinny.

So I went back to my tried and true pink tie. And when I put it on, I really did feel…this is the one.

(Tie- Suit Supply, Flowers- Ivie Joy Floral Arts, Photo by Glenmar Studio)

So the moral in all of this is that it’s fine to ask for help and hear what other people have to say. But at the same time, it’s also completely okay to let your well intended friends and family know “I’ve made my decision and this is the tie / suit / tux etc that we will be wearing.”

And if pink ties are your thing, Bloomingdales actually has a great selection of pink ties HERE. I really like THIS ONE and THIS ONE.

Nordstrom also has a great selection of pink ties that you can check out HERE. I especially like THIS ONE and THIS ONE.

WEDDING BAND.

I got my wedding band at H.L. GROSS AND BROS in Garden City, NY which has a terrific selection of men’s wedding bands. But I did try on a bunch of other styles that I also thought were cool. I think the best thing to do is to just keep trying on different rings until something feels right to you.

I went with a white gold/tungsten combo that I thought looked classy and casual at the same time. I also picked a wider width because thinner bands didn’t look good on me #SausageFingers #I❤️MyGenetics.

I also really liked THIS ONE on Etsy. (I was actually really surprised at how affordable some of them are). THIS ONE is nice too. And if you’re a groom looking for a little extra bling, THIS ONE is right up your alley.

AS FOR WHAT JEWLERY TO WEAR ON THE DAY OF.

Since you’ll obviously have your wedding band on, my advice would be to go easy on any other rings you might normally wear on your other fingers. That way, nothing detracts from your wedding band which should be the focal point on you and your bride’s special day.

For a watch, I went with my tried and true INVICTA PRO DIVER WATCH. I love everything about this watch. Super stylish and super affordable. I like the gold and blue color combo but if you prefer silver, this is a NICE ONE too.

I also wore a 18K gold pendant of Saint Anthony that belonged to Julie’s late mother, who gave it to Julie, who in turn gave it to me. So obviously it has a particular reverence with me, and I cherish it because I love Julie and I loved Julie’s mom. So the pendant is a reminder that she’s with us everyday. So if you have a piece of jewelry from someone, especially from a departed loved one, what better way to honor and acknowledge their presence on your special day than wearing a piece of jewelry that belonged to them.

For my late mother, I still have a Coca-Cola pin on her prayer card because truth be told: she lived off the stuff.

(Coca-Cola pin bought on Etsy)

She used to keep a can in her purse at all times. I remember one time when I was a kid, I turned to my mother and said “Hey Mom do you have anything to drink” and she pulled out a warm Coke from her purse and said “Here drink this but save some for me, I still have to take my pills later.”

LOL. I never said my family was normal. 😆

But all kidding aside, I do think your wedding day is the perfect day to include a trinket or a special piece of jewelry from a loved one, (especially if they’re on the other side).

Julie even wore the diamond earrings from her late mother (similar to THESE and something more affordable like THESE.) I think it’s a nice way to add to the specialness of the day.

GIFTS FOR YOUR GROOMSMEN.

(Photos by Glenmar Studio. Watch by Jack Mason)

When it came to gifts for my groomsmen, I knew I wanted to get them watches because let’s face it, watches are simple and a good watch can dress up *any* outfit. There’s so many to chose from, so I picked styles that fit each person. For Dennis and Ernie, I went with watches by Jack Mason. I loved the combo of the leather band, rose gold hardware, and chronograph face. They have a lot of other cool styles HERE!!

For my best man Ferd, I went with this amazing watch by Jord. Jord watches are crafted out of wood which makes them super unique, and they have a very organic feel to them, so it was perfect for my best man.

I have a Jord watch myself and I even bought THIS ONE for my wife.

(His and her matching JORD WOOD WATCHES. Top: Check out Julie’s Watch HERE, Bottom: Check out my watch HERE.)

GET SOME COOL SUNGLASSES FOR YOUR BIG DAY.

Since we were having an ourdoor wedding I was sure to bring my Versace sunglasses. I got them online at Bloomingdales a few years ago. I loved their shape. There’s also a cool one with a similar shape I saw HERE. I personally like this style because they don’t block other people from seeing your eyes. Eye contact is very big with me so I have all the benefits of shades without sacrificing someone being able to look you in the eyes (and vice versa). But no matter what your style, get yourself some bomb-ass sunglasses for your special day. They will come in handy for pictures and plus let’s be real, they look cool as hell. I saw some other cool shades HERE!

SHOES.You’re gonna be doing a lot of running around and dancing on your big day so you’re going to want shoes that don’t just look good, but are also super comfortable. I went with my GORDON RUSH LOAFERS from Bloomingdales. I did see some other styles HERE but I have wide feet so these loafers were the most comfortable. I shined them myself with THIS AWESOME SHINE KIT, and put some WOODEN SHOE HOLDERS inside to help keep their shape.

MANICURE THOSE NAILS.

Everyone is going to want to see your ring so believe it not, there’s actually going to be a lot of focus on your hands. So be especially sure to take care of your nails during weeks leading up to the big day. Here are a lot of great HOME GENTLEMAN’S MANICURE KITS.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

Have fun! Seriously. Your wedding will be a day that’s filled with joy, laughter, and an indescribable cosmic feeling that will envelop you throughout the entire day.

It will be a busy day yet it will seemingly fly by in the blink of an eye.

Do your best to find a moment here and there to take it all in. And if there are any hiccups along the way, just remember that it’s you and your bride’s special day and no one else’s.

My best advice in this entire article is to just decide ahead of time that no matter what happens on your wedding day, you’re not gonna let anything brother you or your bride. And once you’ve made that decision no matter what hiccups may come your way, trust me, nothing will bother you.

And above all else. Have fun. Have fun with your friends. Have fun with your family. Have fun with your lovely bride and bask in the love and adoration of everyone in your tribe. That’s what it’s all about. In this life, that’s what really counts.

Our Magical Wedding Part Two- Guest post by Yokairy Tavarez

Posted on August 26, 2018 by thefashionminx

There’s a quote about friendship that I love: “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart”- Eleanor Roosevelt. 🌹 I count myself very lucky to have such incredible, supportive, positive, and beautiful friends in my life. One of them is my cherished friend, Yokairy Tavarez. Yokairy and I have been friends since high school, and I won’t say here exactly how long that is, but trust me, it’s LONG! 😆 Yokairy is a talented writer, (check out her website HERE, and you can also buy her books HERE), incredible mother, loving wife, and amazing friend. She’s the type of friend that you wish for, and that you’re lucky to find in this lifetime. She’s always been so supportive, encouraging, and selfless when it comes to being there for her friends, and I couldn’t have been more grateful that she agreed to be in my bridal party, and to stand by me on this important day.

I asked her to write a guest post for my blog, talking about the wedding from her perspective. She was more than happy to oblige, and sent me her draft within one day. I am so happy to share that with you now, and I am honored and grateful for the chance to showcase such a talented writer, and beautiful soul. 🌟

FLOWERS by Ivie Joy Flowers, BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES by Jenny Yoo.

You know that saying: always a bridesmaid, never a bride? Well, I’ve never been a bridesmaid. Ever. None of my close friends have had big weddings, and the ones that have, I was not asked to be a bridesmaid. When my friend Julie asked me, I was genuinely floored. Millions of questions ran through my head: What do I do? Do I have to order strippers for a bachelorette party? Do you have to keep the bride and groom apart the night before? What does all this mean?

Luckily, not only were my questions unfounded and ridiculous, they were unnecessary. Julie knew what she wanted to do, and set out to make it happen. It definitely helped that her maid-of-honor, Debbie, could run the universe if given the chance.

Julie allowed myself and the other bridesmaids to give our input on every step, from the dress choice, to our hairstyles. We planned and had an amazing bachelorette trip to Disney World, had a beautiful and intimate shower, and even stayed at a hotel the night before in preparation of the wedding.

(HOTEL- The Ravel Hotel, Photo by Glenmar Studio)

The morning of was quite the experience. A full itinerary- that an obsessive compulsive scheduling addicted Virgo like myself loves- kicked off the day, with hair and makeup in our hotel room. Primped and prepped, we made our grand entrance ahead of the beautiful blushing bride and danced the night away under a sea of green at The Foundry in Long Island City.

As a reserved and quiet person, who only really comes out of my mean-looking shell with my close friends, I was afraid at first, if I’m being honest, of meeting new girls and being thrust into dress shopping and lunches and travel and sleepovers. It was a bit overwhelming.

But I realized something as I got to know these amazing women and became actual friends with them. It’s easy to forget sometimes that the things that make you care for and remain friends with another person are also the traits they see in others as well. So wouldn’t it then make sense that their friends can also become your friends?

My first experience as a bridesmaid was eye-opening in more ways than one. I learned what bustling means, and that one must absolutely try a makeup plan before the wedding. I tasted dinges for the first time so that alone was pretty awesome.

And unbelievably enough, I made some new friends along the way.