The Finishing Touch — Weddings, Events, Design, Paperie

With the new year just around the corner, we wanted to take a look at some fresh shoe trends!

We are loving the fabulous new styles designers in 2012 have to offer – check out some of these amazing new designs hitting the ‘aisles’ next year!

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Bling is still in! Brides love having that glitzy pop and its a great way to incorporate their ‘something blue’ into their wardrobe.  Oscar de la Renta‘s jeweled slingback heel and Miu Miu’s Glitter T-strap platform are perfect for the ultra glam Bride.

This modern design from Pronovias can be customized in any color you wish – whether it’s a deep, dramatic red or neutral nude tone this fabulous shoe would look stunning down the aisle. Another reason we love it? It’s the ‘Candice’ shoe!

With Victorian styled dresses come Victorian styled shoes! These vintage Victorian styles are usually embellished with lace and embroidery and often feature a soft, low heel. These booties from Rachel Simpson and Prada‘s leather peep toe pump really capture this look.

Brides looking to be extra comfortable on their feet throughout the day may opt for no heel at all! We love these dusty pink ballet flats from Badgley Mishka and jewel adorned flats from Oscar de la Renta.

And for Brides who are wanting to be sky high on their wedding day with some killer high heels, check out this stunners from Alexander McQueen and Valentino! Both of these stilettos are bold and daring, but can definitely be worn again!

What’s your bridal shoe style? Bold and edgy? Classic and comfortable? Tell us your thoughts!

Our beautiful bride-to-be Rosemarie, who serves as the (201) Bride Blogger on (201) Bride online, shares her excitement on the completion of her custom made wedding invitations!

We were excited to work with her the past few months to design and create her dream invitation for her upcoming 2012 wedding.

Check out what she has to say regarding the invitation process and follow her planning progress on (201) Bride!

The holidays are here and it’s most certainly one of TFT’s favorite times of the year!

Check out what items the TFT Gals can’t live without during the holiday season in our

‘TFT Holiday Must Haves’ feature!

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~Candice~

To help with those mini emergencies during those special evenings out and the many holiday parties this ‘She-Mergency‘ kit has it all — I like the mini-mergency for her with the cute bag (of course).

We all know that one of the best part of the holidays is the glitz and glamour parties!!  As many of you know I LOVE my shoes and the holidays let me rock those shiny, sparkly pumps that I probably can’t pull off everyday.  I plan to wear this beautiful pair from Ferragamo (my fav!!) from Christmas to New Years! Join me and be the envy of all at your Holiday Party.

The holidays would not be complete without some bubbly drinks with your closest friends.  My friends and I love to share a bottle (or a few) of Veuve Clicquot.  And if I want something a little sweet I mix it with some fresh peach nectar, making a super yummy Bellini.  The creative types at Veuve have also come up with this cool new shopping bag:  Le Champagne Pret A Porter. This new custom-made creation for Veuve Clicquot adds a note of elegance to the contemporary lifestyle. Ensuring that the bottle remains at ideal tasting temperature for two hours, the Shopping Bag offers and ideal accessory for a Veuve Clicquot moment.

A Charlie Brown Christmas DVD and Original Soundtrack & How the Grinch Stole Christmas are a holiday must as I am a sucker for these old traditional cartoons and love to share them with my girls.  They continue to teach us the true meaning of the Christmas holiday.

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~Jennifer~

A little sparkle … provided by OPI added to my already nude or colored manicure.

A little ambiance … courtesy of Michael Bublé, Christmas album.

And a little shopping energy … in the form of yummy Starbucks holiday beverages; Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog Latte and my favorite, Gingerbread Latte. And don’t forget to pick up the free download code for the song of the week while there!

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~Soroya~

During the year and especially during the holidays it is always a fun time to be with my family.  As someone who grew up in NY, going to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular was something to look forward to.  And admit it, you have tried to kick like a Rockette too.  Tickets for my family to see this fantastic show are my first Holiday season must have!

Speaking of my family, I love showing off pictures of my twin daughters, so a beautiful heart locket necklace is a nice traditional way to go.  This is a total splurge or a great gift to get from your hubby, and you will treasure it for many years to come. I love this special Tiffany’s keepsake.

And speaking of photos, I am guilty of taking pictures on my phone and not getting around to printing them out for months.  This holiday season I will print my precious family photos out right away on the iPhone Photo Cube Printer.  Check it out from Sharper Image.

Nothing says the holidays like a delicious pie!!  I used to work in Manhattan and lived for these Dean and Deluca delights.  Pick one up to share with your loved ones, or you can order this Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie online.  They will be thanking you for it all year long, and you can worry about working off the extra calories after all of the festivities.

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~Stephanie~

Being fashionable in the winter can be a challenge with all of the layering that goes on to protect you from the chilly weather – that’s why accessorizing is key! I can’t go anywhere in the winter without my headwraps, scarves and hats. This Twist Headwrap from Michael Kors is an ultimate fave as you can be fashionable and warm!

The Fabulously Festive Face Kit from MAC Cosmetics has the perfect combination of cool tones to complete any fab wintry look. With neo-nude shades and icy shimmer, this collection features a double brow/eye and shadow/blush compact along with their signature Lipglass and three glitter handled brushes. An amazing gift or ultimate indulgence – you decide!

Holiday season for me also means baking season! Making cookies, cakes, pies – you name it- I love baking around the holidays to share some yummy treats with family and friends. Why not look cute while baking? I love these aprons from Pier1 – they are fashionable, fun and keep your holiday duds clean from any ingredients gone awry!

I can’t even go a couple of days without quoting one of my all time favorite movies, Elf.  I have seen it a hundred times but could never get tired of the story of Buddy the Elf. Watching this classic holiday movie each year has become a tradition for our family as we know that we will all enjoy it and it will surely bring a smile to our faces. (“I just like to smile, smilings my favorite!”)

Hiring a wedding planner for your big day is so important! Having a planner there to ensure your day goes without a hitch enables you to relax and enjoy the most important day of your life.

Check out ‘Should I Hire A Wedding Planner?’, an amazing video from our good friend Damon over at Absolute Media Productions!

Lots of exciting things happening at The Finishing Touch!

Congratulations to our very own Candice Benson!

TFT is so proud to announce the birth of Riley Drew Benson on October 14, 2011 at 11:52 AM.

She weighed in at 7 lbs 15 oz and is 20.5 inches long.

Big Sister Katerina loves her new sister!

We are so excited to have another Benson on the TFT team!

Wishing them all the best with their beautiful new addition!

We are so excited to share that our very own Stephanie is engaged! Stephanie and her fiance Greg were engaged this summer and are now starting out on their own wedding planning journey. Stephanie will be sharing her experience of planning her own wedding (as a planner!) throughout the entire process. We can’t wait to help put all of the details of her day together!

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People always say you find love when you least expect it, cliche or not, that is exactly how my story began.

I can remember the day my childhood friend Ashley called saying, “Remember when we were little and dreamed about our wedding day? Well, Jeff proposed and I would love for you to be one of my bridesmaids!”  Without hesitation the words rolled right off my tongue, “Of course I will, I’d love too!”.  Little did I know that accepting my role as a bridesmaid would change my life forever.

The details of the wedding began effortlessly falling into place, just as I had seen so many times before. In just a few short months, the wedding was here and I could not wait to witness Ashley and Jeff’s big day. The night before their wedding, the rehearsal was held to go through all of the elements of the ceremony. This was also the first time the entire bridal party would meet and right off the bat, there was one Groomsman who caught my attention. His name was Greg and he was the younger brother of the Groom. He seemed really fun and was making jokes the entire time which took away some of the ‘wedding jitters’ that everyone experiences.

The wedding was held on a beautiful June day and started off without a hitch. After the ceremony, the bridal party went with the Bride and Groom to do some fun photos around town. Greg and I had a little time to chat in between photos and once again he made me laugh and I was happy to have met him.

The Bridal Party Greeting the Bride and Groom!

We headed to the reception where the night was filled with great food, drinks and music. Seated on opposite sides of the ballroom, Greg and I didn’t see each other much throughout the night, but he was certainly on my mind. Towards the end of the evening, the lyrics of Eric Clapton’s ‘Wonderful Tonight’ started to fill the room.  Across the dance floor came Greg and he asked me to dance! I accepted and ever since that amazing moment when I hear those timeless lyrics I still get butterflies.

A week or so later, we connected and went out on our first date. After dinner and a movie, we sat outside under the moonlight and laughed and talked for hours. It was the perfect date with the perfect man. The next three years are a whirlwind of emotions, memories, laughter and learning.  Each memory feels as though it was yesterday. I have found my best friend, my soulmate, my other half.

Although each memory seems like yesterday our most recent milestone, our engagement, is slightly blurred. Vacationing on the beautiful, Long Beach Island, Greg had all of the details set.  Like most fairytales, nothing goes as planned which is much like how it happened for us that day.  We woke up early to head down to the beach to watch the sunrise. It was a chilly, foggy morning – not quite ideal.  Exhausted, I tried to persuade Greg to do something romantic another morning but he persisted and with much chagrin I agreed.

As we walked hand in hand from our house to the beach I smiled and thought about how lucky I was. The brisk ocean breeze took away the sleepiness and I was excited to watch the sunrise with my love. We propped ourselves on a giant sand mound which had almost formed into a bench- I guessed it was a sandcastle which the ocean had begun to wash away.  I’m sure the little kids who were feverishly building the day before had no idea this exact location which their castle stood upon held the start of the first chapter of “our” life. While the waves crashed against the shore and we sat gazing up at the parting clouds, the beautiful pink and orange colors began to shine.

The Sunrise!

As I was staring at the beautiful sight before me, Greg said how much he loved me and how he can’t wait to spend our lives together – you would think I’d catch on at this point but Greg and I were always talking about our future together so it was nothing out of the ordinary. As I turned towards him to thank him for bringing me to watch the sunrise, he was down on one knee with an open box and beautiful ring glistening in the now risen sun. “Stephanie, I love you, Will you Marry Me?!”  I wanted to speak but I didn’t move and the amazing feelings people always describe began to flood over me.  I knew that I was making the easiest decision I would ever have to make and I said YES!!

Engaged!

When we got back to the house like all brides do I excitedly called, emailed and texted all of my friends and family wanting to share the amazing news.  They all showered us with love and best wishes.

We are so excited to begin our lives together!

Follow me as I share with you the journey of a wedding planner turned bride from ‘How To’ to ‘I Do’!!

Our lovely couple, Jessica Simpson & Jared Cook, were married on September 23, 2011. Having unique theme colors of yellow and gray, the ambiance was perfect for the fall day – and even though the rain was coming down, nothing could stop this beautiful couple from smiling!

Once they were all dressed and ready, a ‘first look’ reveal was arranged to take romantic photos at the nearby Morristown Train Station with their bridesmaids, groomsmen and adorable flower girl. These great shots really captured the emotions of the bride and groom and showcased their fun personalities!

After the session, it was back to the Westin Governor Morris, where their ceremony was to be held. The beautiful bride looked stunning as she walked down the aisle accompanied by her Mother. A Remembrance candle was lit in honor of Jessica’s father as well as other family members who had passed on. It was such a moving element to their ceremony.

Then it was onto the reception! The ballroom looked amazing with amber lighting and gorgeous centerpieces featuring vases of florals filled with lemons and limes. These unique centerpieces brought an eclectic touch to the reception, really tying together the fall colors. The enchanted evening was full of fun and dancing! Having transformed a part of the banquet hall into a lounge, Jessica & Jared were able to spend quality time with their friends and family.

Jessica and Jared were such a pleasure to work with and we were so happy to bring the finishing touch to their special day – we wish them all the best!!

Thank you to all of the vendors who brought the magic together:

Ceremony & Reception Site – The Westin Governor Morris
Cake – Gourmet Touch
Ceremony Musician/Band – Keith, Nix in the Mix
Florist - Flowers by Connie Riemer
Make Up – Ruth Gilchrist
Hair – Gianni Hair & Skin Care
Photographer -G/A Photography
Videographer -Lamar Wedding Studios
Wedding Gown – Hollywood Bridal
Town Car – Downtown Car & Limo
Party Favors – Jimmy’s Artistic Creations

Wishing our couple Meghan & Keith a very Happy Anniversary!

In honor of their big day, we take a look back at their beautiful Autumn wedding that was held at the fabulous W Hotel in Hoboken, NJ – the home of Mickey Blue Eyes!

We hope you enjoy this short highlight video featuring some of the details from their day. We wish them all the best!

Attention Brides!!

To learn more and to register, click here!