True Love Nation

Sister

2011-05-05T22:19:00.001-07:00

One of my little sister's got married this past July to a wonderful man. I was her Matron-of Honor and enjoyed every single minute of it. It amazes me how much hard work and planning are put into every little detail of a wedding and how it all miraculously falls into place for ONE ah-mazing day. There were major bumps in the road on her wedding day but nonetheless it was beautiful. I kept reminding her not to worry about all the problems that arose and just enjoy the celebration of love between her and her husband. My sister is such a perfectionist, so it was hard for her to let go.
While shooting their wedding photos with the talented, Cristina Navarro, it was joyous to see my sister finally just enjoy the moment. The locations she had originally picked out for their photos didn't work out but where we ended up shooting was magical and perfect. We were supposed to shoot in a private property in the upper valley but we were attacked by swarms of mosquitoes, so we made our way downtown. When we arrived downtown it became horribly windy and rain clouds began to move in but the newlyweds "worked it." Alfresco! Fridays just happened to be going on at the same time we were taking photos and Mariachi's were performing. I decided to surprise the newlyweds by asking the Mariachi's to dedicate a song to them and at that moment they had their first dance in the middle of the Arts Festival Plaza in front of hundreds of people. As they were finishing their dance rain started to pour down and then a beautiful rainbow appeared. We will always remember how bittersweet that moment was and laugh about the circumstances. Everything was put into perspective and we realized that these are the moments we need to cherish because that is what life is all about.
Photographer: Cristina Navarro
Cinematographer: August {meets} December
Dress: Ella Blu
Flowers: Fiori
Makeup: Jessica Avila

Kathy and Charlie - July 23, 2010 from August {meets} December on Vimeo.

Boudoir

2011-04-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ohhh Laaa laaa!!! Ok ladies, I have found the perfect gift for my brides to give to their husbands-to-be. A very sexy, gorgeous and unforgettable photo album or prints of your beautiful selves in your lingerie! Believe me you will have plenty of lingerie to model in your "boudoir" photo shoot after you get all your gifts from your bachelorette parties. A local photographer, Ivona, has awesome "boudoir" photography skills. Below, I have put together a few of my fav's from Ivona's blog. These photos are so classy and ooze sexiness. I can't imagine your hubby-to-be not loving this gift.

Hybrid Nails

2011-04-04T21:16:00.001-07:00

On one of my many trips to the salon to get a mani/pedi, I decided to get Shellac done to my nails. Shellac is a hybrid gel/polish and leaves a gorgeous, flawless, shiny manicure. Some benefits to having a Shellac manicure done is that it dries instantly under a UV lamp for a few seconds; and it lasts up to two weeks. I have received plenty of compliments on my nails and people even think I have fake nails on. In my profession I am constantly washing my hands and my Shellac manicure has lasted 2 weeks and looks fabulous. I would definitely recommend for brides and bridesmaids to consider this manicure for the big day. You can find many local salons that offer Shellac manicures, the only downfall is there aren't tons of colors to choose from.

Diamond-Inspired Bridal Shower

2011-03-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

Jasmine Star is my favorite national photographer. Her images and blog posts just brighten my day and rock my creative world! Her twin sister got married this past year and I remembered a blog post she had about her sister's Diamond-inspired bridal shower. The images she captured of all the details of the shower are so inspiring, so I made an inspiration board from her photos. Hopefully, it will help some bridesmaids get started on planning their bride's bridal shower or bachelorette party. This bridal shower was considered so inspirational it was published in Inside Wedding Magazine. Awesome. The photos at the bottom left of the inspiration board show "love" notes that the brides guests placed in a calender box so that on the month of the brides wedding she could open an inspirational note everyday until the day of her wedding. The photos on the bottom right of the inspiration board show a customized body scrub station for the brides guests to make their own bath scrub by adding their prefered scent. I love the creative details and elegance of this bridal shower.

FriENDI Engagement

2011-03-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

So my best friend is getting married this year. Unfortunately, she lives out of town and I am bummed that I can't be by her side during the whole wedding planning process. I miss her so much. She had a recent engagement session done by Lewchan Photography and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you all. Our friendship began our freshman year in college and I remember the first thing I told her was "Has anybody ever told you that you look like Salma Hayek" Awww sweet memories. Love ya End.

Boda

2011-03-23T20:17:00.003-07:00

My cousin is getting married this year and has asked me to find some Mexican-themed wedding inspiration. I made two inspiration boards with two different approaches.
The first board is more fun and vibrant! I LOVE the cake and Loteria centerpieces!

The second board is more formal and elegant:

I like both of them but my personal favorite is the second board. I just noticed the boards didn't have any pictures of Mariachis. Brides, don't forget a wedding isn't considered a Mexican wedding if there aren't any Mariachis! haha

EP Engagement Session by Kristen Swanson

2011-03-20T14:51:00.077-07:00

I LOVE this recent engagement session that the talented, Kristen Swanson, photographed and I had to share it with you all. Love the different looks the couple went for and Kristen captured. They have the urban look and somehow captured the beach look, luckily the river bank was dry. This doesn't even look like it was shot in El Paso. Great job Kristen! Congrats to the engaged couple! To see the rest of this engagement session visit www.kristen-swanson.com

Ombre Trend

2011-03-13T19:31:00.002-07:00

In fashion terminology Ombre is a color effect in the fabric which graduates from light to dark. This has become a popular trend with hair styles, fashion and now weddings. Below is a board with some Ombre wedding inspiration.

Breathtaking

2011-03-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

I came across this photo while blog-stalking my fav photography and cinematography group, Stillmotion. I just wanted to share it with you because it took my breath away. It's like the gates of heaven opened up for a quick second to shower God's love on this newlywed couple. All you can do is *smile. Happy Thursday Peeps.

Frida Kahlo Inspiration

2011-03-01T23:25:00.001-07:00

My best friend, Endi, is getting married this year. I thought I would help her out with some inspiration. She adores Frida Kahlo. I thought it would be awesome if she drew some inspiration for her wedding from her favorite artist. The color scheme is beautiful....so many colors to choose from. I hope this helps you End....Love ya.

Black Swan Inspiration

2011-02-24T23:23:00.000-07:00

The Oscars are right around the corner, so I thought it would be perfect to create an inspiration board inspired by Black Swan. Brides can either decide to have the White Swan or Black Swan look. It would also be interesting if you decide to be the White Swan by day then transform into the Black Swan by night. That sounds like it would be fun. The movie is so original, beautiful and disturbing simultaneously.

Best Photographers in EP

2011-02-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

In my opinion these photographers are the BEST El Paso has to offer. Visit their websites and blogs to see their beautiful work. They will definitely capture the moments you will cherish forever.

Cristina Navarro

Kristen Swanson

Dan Dalstra

Cristina Navarro and August Meets December

2011-02-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share one of my favorite wedding "mini-movies" from 2010 that August Meets December created in collaboration with Cristina Navarro. August Meets December creates one-of-a-kind wedding highlight "mini-movies" and works exclusively with Cristina Navarro. Watching this video brings butterflies to my stomach and tears to my eyes every time. Enjoy.

Shannon and Austin - September 25, 2010 from Joe Centeno on Vimeo.

DIY Family Tree/Guest Book

2010-08-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

I am a blog stalker when it comes to photographer's blogs. I heart photography. While browsing through Sara Rhoads blog, I came across this photo that inspired me to show my very neglected blog some AMOR. It is a photo of a family tree made up of your family members finger prints. How awesome is that? Freakin' awesome and so different than the average "guest book."

Love in Motion

2010-07-08T18:13:00.003-07:00

I am so ELATED to share a unique video that a local photographer, Cristina Navarro, has posted on her blog. She is going to begin to offer video services packaged with her awesome photography. I LOVE this video because it looks so candid....no posing, no acting, just REAL RAW LOVE!!!! I can feel Robby and Rocio's love for each other seep through the video and cause me to have butterflies in my tummy :0) It makes me want to get married with my hubbs all over again. This is exactly the type of video I would have wanted for our wedding. Short, Dramatic and Sweet. Tell me what you think. Enjoy!!!!!

Rocio and Robby - June 26, 2010 from Joe Centeno on Vimeo.

Gypsy Bride

2010-05-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to share the work of a very talented local artist, Luciana Cazares. Luciana is the owner of Gypsy in Stilettos. Gypsy in Stilettos is a place where you can purchase redesigned and re-purposed furniture and accessories. As Luciana states on her blog, "Design is an opportunity to tell a story." On the blog you will find beautiful bridal accessories such as bouquets, jewelry and hair accessories. All of these items can be purchased in Gypsy in Stilettos Etsy shop. True Love Nation is going to share some of their favorite Bridal pieces. Photos courtesy of Omar Mena Video and Photography.

Romantic Whimsical: DIY Wedding Invitation

2010-05-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

My sister is getting married in July so we have been preparing for her big day. One of the big projects we worked very hard on was making her wedding invites. Thanks to her wedding planner, Arlene Carrion, us bridesmaids just had to put the finishing touches on the invitations. It was a lot of hard work but tons of fun. This project also allowed the bridal party to have some quality time. We are very happy with the final results. They look beautiful. LOVE the butterflies, they add that whimsical detail we wanted.
Brides and Grooms, designing and making your own invitations can be a good way to save some money. A benefit to DIY wedding invitations is that you can make them unique and personalized to you all as a couple.

Romantic Meadow

2010-04-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

In many of the books I have recently been reading there is a meadow that the couple escapes to in order to be alone. They secretly meet in a meadow, THEIR meadow, to profess their love for each other. All this romantic meadow canoodling made me very ambitious to find an El Paso meadow. This weekend I went to see the beautiful blooming poppies on the Northeast side of Transmountain and fell in love with a mountain meadow. I thought this would be a prefect place for a bride and groom that are getting married this spring to take the opportunity to have photos taken while the poppies are in bloom. It is only once a year and for a limited amount of time that the poppies are in full bloom and cover our beautiful mountains with a soft blanket of yellow. Even when the poppies aren't in bloom anymore this area is still a beautiful place to have wedding photos taken. I encourage all El Paso brides and grooms to go escape in a world of romance in this gorgeous mountainside meadow and allow your photographer to capture it.

Mexican Wedding Traditions

2010-04-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

The lasso and the arras are important symbolically in a traditional Mexican wedding ceremony. The lasso is typically a large rosary that is placed around the bride and groom's neck and signifies their never-ending union. According to my grandfather, he says that the lasso is placed so the groom can't escape. haha. The arras are 13 gold coins that symbolize the couple's wealth and also Christ and his 12 apostles. Both the lasso and the arras are blessed by the priest during the wedding ceremony. A lot of modern Hispanic brides and grooms opt to incorporate these traditional aspects into their weddings.

Wax or Thread

2010-03-08T22:24:00.002-07:00

I personally have always had my eyebrows waxed but this weekend decided to try eyebrow threading. I loved it and will never go back to waxing. My skin is very sensitive to the wax and sometimes I would end up with minimal burns. Eyebrow threading is considered an art and doesn't use wax or chemicals, instead it uses cotton thread and a special technique to remove hair. Read more about eyebrow threading on http://www.perfectbrowthreading.com/

I would definitely recommend eyebrow threading to brides, grooms, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Full facial hair removal can also be performed with the threading technique. You could get it done the week of or even the day before the wedding without worries of burns or skin irritation.

Love at "First Sight"

2010-02-08T20:00:00.001-07:00

Recently, I have become an aficionado for photography. My husband and I purchased a Canon 7D as a gift to each other for Christmas. It allows me to appreciate the photography side, while he gets to also partake in some video action. I have to admit it is a very cool little gadget. As a bride, I never paid too much attention to the art of a photographer's point of view about shooting a wedding. Now that I am learning photography I am able to appreciate this special art. One thing that I wish my husband and I did prior to our ceremony was the "First Sight." The "First Sight" is the magical moment that the bride and the groom share alone where they see each other for the first time before they make things official. This allows the bride and groom to have an intimate experience, instead of during the ceremony while everyone is watching. Plenty of photographers are encouraging their brides and grooms to participate in a "First Sight" experience because it allows them to capture such a special moment before their wedding day gets started. I am a big fan of a photographer, Jasmine Star, she is one of the many photographers that prefers to shoot "First Sight" brides and grooms. The "First Sight" photos on this blog post are courtesy of Jasmine Star's website and blog. I just LOVE the look both brides and grooms have in their eyes during the "First Sight" moment. Simply Love. Simply Joy.

Puppy Love

2010-02-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I have been pretty bad about blogging lately but I have a good reason. We recently adopted a wonderful 8 month old Lab Mix from Pet Guardian Angel and have had our hands full. My hubby and I feel like we have a newborn.......this has definitely made us realize we aren't ready for kiddos yet. We already had a 4 year old Yorkie, Bella, and decided she needed a little brother. Needless to say we had forgotten what hard work a pup was from crate training, house training, obedience school, and daily walks. It has been a challenging 3 weeks but very rewarding at the same time. We named our new addition to the family, Moultrie. Yes, after Arnett Moultrie from the Men's UTEP Basketball team. My hubby and I are very dedicated UTEP fans. A fun little tidbit, since we adopted Moultrie the UTEP Basketball team has been on a winning streak, so we consider our pup a lucky charm :0) We encourage everyone that is an animal lover to consider adopting a pet of your own. There are many animals big and small that need a loving home.
On my wedding day it was important to me that our photographer, Cristina Navarro, incorporated my Bella in our wedding photos because she is an important part of our family as well. Many brides and grooms are beginning to include these lil furry family members in their wedding ceremonies as ring bearers or flower "pups" because they are that important to them. So my inspiration for this blog post came from Moultrie and Bella. Both of them have made Joe and I realize how simple love is and made our love for each other stronger. I will leave this posting with a quote from John Grogan in Marley and Me, "A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?"

Bella and I on our wedding day.

School of Love

2010-01-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

I was honored when Belle asked me to write an article in their January issue of their magazine and to become a contributor. While planning our wedding I always turned to Belle Magazine to find some inspiration. Writing in this months Belle issue was a great opportunity to provide engaged couples some advice on wedding planning. Belle was so kind in sending me the article so I could post it on the blog so those of True Love Nation's followers that were unable to obtain a magazine could enjoy reading it. Thanks Belle Magazine and Cristina Navarro for our wedding photos. XOXO

Honeymoon

2010-01-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are still in the honeymoon phase......I honestly don't know when we will get out of it. Probably when we start to have kiddos....haha. Anyway, when planning your honeymoon it is important to do plenty of research of where you plan on going. Since planning your wedding and honeymoon coincide it will probably be beneficial for you all to use a travel agency. The travel agent will make all of your accommodations and that can be one less thing you have to worry about.

Bridal Showcase

2010-01-07T19:15:00.004-07:00

Calling all Brides and Grooms-to-be!!!! If you are engaged and planning your wedding it will be beneficial for you to visit the third annual White Winter Wonderland Bridal And Quinceañera Showcase this Sunday at the Marriott Airport from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. At this Bridal Showcase you will be able to meet Excellent El Paso wedding vendors. One of which I used in my wedding Fiori the Flower Studio. Here is a sneak peek of one of their "Safari Sunset" bouquets they will be showcasing. It is gorgeous.

You will also be able to pick up a copy of this month's Belle Magazine, which includes an article by True Love Nation mentioning some wedding planning do's and dont's.

ATTENTION BRIDES!!! Ella Blu has some of their 2010 designer wedding gowns in. Look forward to trunk shows galore this weekend. True Love Nation highly recommends Ella Blu, ask for Sophia or Andy and set up an appointment to find your one of a kind, SHOWSTOPPING gown. Call 915-881-9999. I also bought my beautiful wedding gown from Ella Blu.

Kuuipo

2010-01-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

Kuuipo in the Hawaiian language means sweetheart. Which leads me to my blog post about the current trend of Sweetheart tables. Sweetheart tables are only meant to accommodate the bride and the groom during the reception and dance. The sweetheart table allows the bride and groom to be the focal point of the reception yet providing them with a little more intimacy. Another benefit of having a sweetheart table is that your court is able to sit close by with their family and friends. I also think sweetheart tables are reminiscent of royalty and add an extra touch of elegance. Brides and Grooms, if you really think about it you both are King and Queen for a day, so why not indulge a little bit. haha

Romantic Whimsical

2009-12-28T23:17:00.004-07:00

My sister is engaged and her wedding day is getting closer and closer. I thought it would be awesome to create a wedding inspiration board to help get her pumped up for her big day. Her wedding theme is Romantic Whimsical and her colors are Blue and Hot pink. Hope you enjoy little sister. I love you. Thanks again to Cristina Navarro for allowing me to use her fab photo of what I think is a "whimsical" cake. The cake is a creation from Thierry of Sweet 'Art Festive Cakes.

Vintage Love

2009-12-20T17:40:00.002-07:00

Since my husband is a Video Production and Graphic Designer, he has definitely made me more appreciative of quality film making. When it came to planning our wedding he was the person in charge of finding us our wedding videographer, JC Video Productions. We are very happy with our wedding video. One thing that we didn't want was our wedding video to look like it was a cheesy novela, and luckily it didn't. Brides and Grooms, when you look for a videographer make sure to set up a consultation and have them show you their previous work. If they do not want to share previous wedding videos they have made that is a RED FLAG and I would advise you to start looking for another videographer.

I was looking at Style Me Pretty and found this awesome Vintage wedding inspiration video by Buzz Media Company. It definitely made an impression on me and I would have totally wanted to do that for our video. I tell my husband that I want to get married to him again a million times so we can incorporate all these cool new trends that I find. He just looks at me like I am a crazy woman. haha. Enjoy the video, I LOVE the vintage look.

Elihu Island Winter Love from Buzz Media Company on Vimeo.

The fragrance of LOVE

2009-12-18T00:09:00.003-07:00

When it came to planning my wedding, the hardest vendor for me to find was a florist. I shopped around like any smart bride should and I fell in love with Fiori. They were very attentive and addressed all of my floral needs, and most importantly my budget. Fiori doesn't just put together your average centerpieces, boutineers and bouquets they create pieces of art with beautiful flowers. Visit their website at http://fioritheflowerstudio.com/ to see various floral arrangements they have created.
Below are some photos of Fiori's work taken by Cristina Navarro of New Day Photography www.newdayphotography.com

UTEP Color Inspiration

2009-12-07T22:31:00.005-07:00

There are an array of colors that you can choose for your wedding. Many brides are usually the ones to choose the theme and colors of the big day and the groom doesn't really have a choice in the matter. Masculine colors are becoming more popular in modern weddings.
Personally, I was so excited to see that blue and orange are a hot color combo right now. The reason I am so excited is because they are UTEP colors and I have constant Orange Fever. haha
If you and your fiance are big UTEP fans, like most of El Paso, or are UTEP alumni this would be an awesome color theme.
El Paso grooms are going to be so happy if their brides tell them their wedding colors will be orange and blue instead of pink and purple.

Check out this color inspiration board compliments of Charmcitybride.com

Groom's Cake

2009-12-02T21:50:00.008-07:00

According to Martha Stewart Weddings, the tradition of the groom's cake can be traced back to the Victorian era in England. The groom's cake made it's debut to the US in the South. Groom's cakes are a fun way of expressing the groom's personality. Groom's cakes can depict a plethora of things but typically are a favorite hobby, sport or food. Personally, I always enjoy the groom's cake more than the wedding cake. I wonder why they taste so much better.
Oh and here is a fun lil tidbit I would like to share. An old superstition is that if the single women at the wedding take a piece of the groom's cake home and sleep with it under their pillow they will dream of their future husband. Ladies, this is literally "FOOD FOR THOUGHT." haha
So enough about Groom's Cake history, below you will find some awesome examples of groom's cakes.
Also, I can't leave you without information about some of True Love Nation's favorite local bakers. First, Thierry of Sweet 'Art Festive Cakes bakes custom design cakes that look and taste amazing, visit her website at www.sweetartfestivecakes.com. You can get a taste of her delicious cakes on the dessert menu at The El Paso City Grill. Secondly, Bowie Bakery not only makes the best Pan Dulce in El Paso but is also baking wedding cakes too, visit their website at www.bowiebakery.com.

These two cakes are from the website gallery of Sweet 'Art Festive Cakes by Thierry.
The following photo my friend took at a wedding she recently was a guest at. The groom really likes Chico's Tacos.

Trend Alert:Video Invites

2009-11-24T19:29:00.001-07:00

While I was looking at one of my favorite wedding blogs, www.polkadotbride.com, I came across a post that mentioned video invites. I was so ecstatic about this new trend that I had to share it with you all. I began to search for wedding invites and save the date invites and came across these two awesome videos. You can check these videos out on Vimeo and all of the production info is on there. This is a great idea for brides and grooms that want to do something different from traditional paper invites. The video would also be a great keepsake for family and friends.

Save the Date Video

Jonny and Krystel Save the Date Video from SODE Productions on Vimeo.

Wedding Invitation Video

Josh+Amy - Wedding Invitation Video from Matt E on Vimeo.

Twilight Wedding-Bella's Gown

2009-11-22T18:53:00.005-07:00

The recent release of the second movie of the Twilight Series:New Moon has everyone in a Twilight craze. For those of you who have not gone to see it, I highly recommend it. Personally, it is extremely better than the first movie, Twilight. Of course, the ending of the movie leaves you wanting more and more. There is a link above from In Style Magazine showing a numerous amount of sketches of designer's ideas of Bella's Wedding Gown. Below is True Love Nation's favorite from Monique Lhuillier. Very romantic and vintage. Love it.

Boot Scootin' Boogie

2009-11-22T15:39:00.001-07:00

In Texas cowboy boots have never really gone out of style, but they sure are making a comeback in the fashion world. Many brides are "kicking the boot" to designer heels and sportin' cowboy boots with a feminine twist. The following photos are from Lauren Clark's photography blog.

Luckily for El Paso brides and bridesmaids, we have talented designers that make custom boots. One of many is Rocketbuster Boots. They have designed many custom boots for celebs such as Taylor Swift, Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan, Oprah Winfrey and many more. Their prices range from $650.00-$5,000. Below are some pics of some of their boots. Check out their website @ www.rocketbuster.com

The Wedding Boot

These two are some of True Love Nation's fav's

Hair "Style"

2009-11-17T22:23:00.002-07:00

Brides and Bridesmaids alike not only need to worry about their hairstyle but how to make it stylish. Right now it is so hot for the ladies to accessorize their hair with crystals, feathers, flowers and headbands. Forget the tiaras, the modern bride and bridesmaid gets to show their uniqueness through their hair"style."
My favorite hair accessory designer is Jennifer Behr. Her beautiful accessories have been worn by many celebs such as Kim Kardashian, Nicole Richie and Natalie Portman.
Below are two photos of my favorite hair accessories from her Bridal Collection.
Courtesy of www.jenniferbehr.com

Below is also a gorgeous Star Queen feather hair comb from Etsy.

Ladies, keep in mind to purchase a hair accessory that will complement your hairstyle and veil. Make sure to meet with your hairstylist weeks before the wedding to have a practice run of your wedding day hair with your veil and hair accessories.
Another photo compliments of Cristina Navarro of New Day Photography.

True Love Nation tidbit: A great local boutique that sells amazing hair accessories is Ella Blu.
Ella Blu is another one of True Love Nation's favs.

Stop Time and Treasure it.

2009-11-16T22:06:00.001-07:00

When planning your wedding it is EXTREMELY important to incorporate a photographer in your budget. This, among a couple other wedding expenses, should not be something to frugally invest in. Photographers "mark a moment that has passed, one that would now be gone forever except for a picture."-Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones.
Photo-journalistic photography has taken over the more traditional stiff posing photography. When you look at a photographer's photos you want to be able to feel the emotion of the people in the photo.
Make sure to do a lot of research before making a decision. Remember, photographers are going to capture the most important moments and details of your special day, so choose wisely. Plenty of photographers have websites that display their galleries of work and contact information for package prices.
FYI......when you hire a photographer for your wedding it is a good idea to include an engagement session. The engagement sessions are tons of fun and lets face it, who wouldn't want to be chased by their own "paparazzi" for an afternoon. Plus, it allows you and your fiance to get used to being the center of attention and get to know how the photographer works.

Here are a few photos of a local photographer True Love Nation adores.
Cristina Navarro of New Day Photography.
Check out more of her work on her website at: www.newdayphotography.com

Time Travel Inspiration

2009-11-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with the story of The Time Traveler's Wife when I read the book. So when the movie came out I went to see it the opening weekend. I was impressed with how accurately the movie portrayed the book. It is great inspiration for weddings, marriage, and life itself. The moment I saw Clare's engagement ring I began to drool. It has a vintage yet futuristic look to it, so unique. There has already been a trend shift in engagement rings to a more vintage look with the settings of the rings themselves. Now I have begun to see a trend shift in the preference of different shapes of diamonds.

Clare's engagement ring is an oval shaped diamond set east to west. So beautiful.

Here is another engagement ring that has a Marquise shape diamond, instead of oval shape, set east to west.