Best San Diego Destination Wedding Vendors » san diego's best wedding vendors and outdoor wedding locations

Most photographers will someway, somehow incorporate some photographs of your hands, your ring, you and your beloved holding hands. Some photographers will feature your feet, your shoes, toes dancing in the sand. So, that said, it’s time to stop picking those cuticles and missing your manis and pedis. If you want your hands and feet to be in tip-top shape before the big day, you will want to schedule regular–every two weeks– manicures and pedicures at least two months before your wedding. You’ll also want to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize every morning and night with a thicker cream designated for those tougher, rougher spots. A trip to CVS is all you need. At night, we urge you to use those moisturizing all-cotton gloves to help seal the cream. Cotton socks on the feet every night will do the trick.

Peacock feathers. Snakes skin. Leopard. Roooooooarrrr. Welcome to the jungle. We LOVE it! Brides are starting to show off their wild side, whether they hide some leopard pumps under their snowy white gowns or peacock feathers in the centerpieces. You go, gir-roar-l. As far as photos go, little personal touches like this go a long way in telling a pictorial story. Your photographer will love you. That said, as always, we have some tips on how not to go overboard.

• Make a statement. A brief, punctuated statement. Make your “wild touch” a little on the demur side. Translation: NO leopard wedding gowns or bridesmaid dresses. We are talking small touches. (On that note, it is our belief that Big did not get out of the limo in Sex In the City because he saw his bride, who was wearing a big bird in her hair. A bird, Carrie? Really?)
• If it is not you, it’s not you. No faking. If you are not wild and you wish to ignore this post altogether, do it. Don’t fake the funk. You’ll regret it when you are looking at your wedding album much in the same way you look at what you wore to your high school dances. Your wedding is a reflection of your style. If you are more Hamptons than Greenwich Village, it’s OK. You are a grown up and you have preferences. Move on.
• If you are going to really mix it up, we encourage you to grab a posterboard, the glue stick and some swatches so you can really envision your colors and touches. Think about it. Don’t let your wild child decision be one you make on a whim. It’s your wedding; take your time.

Move over Vera Wang, you are not the only designer sought after in the wedding belle department! A designer we love, and one who is making headlines with her eco-friendly designs, is Adele Wechsler. With gowns that breath an air of simplicity and ethereal beauty, Adele’s gowns are earth friendly and are sure to turn heads. Before you think “potato sack,” we have to say these gowns are truly gorgeous. Under her ECO COUTURE line, gowns are made of organic hemp and silk, vegetable dyes, and most romantic, remnant fabrics. We like the throw back to something a little more natural, a little less synthetic. That’s what makes a truly wonderful marriage, no?

Adele’s collection can be found at The White Flower bridal boutique on 5th and Laurel downtown San Diego.

We can’t stress how much we love when a bride’s funky style peek-a-boos into her traditional wedding scheme. Our photographers say this is a great way to let a wedding step out of the norm, making for some excellent photos and fun memories. A unique way to show a little pizzazz is in the footwear department. Whether you are looking for something a little strappy, a little funky, or romantic, blue suede is a wedding wowser! We checked out styles on endless.com, see above, after searching for “blue suede.” What a great selection! So if you are looking for your something blue and the bridal shoppe is fresh our of lacy blue-ribboned garters, why not turn to fancy footwear?

Etsy is fast creating a cult following for linking artisans, crafters and artists to consumers in search of something–anything!– unique and memorable. Wedding favors are no exception in this department. Moving away from the standard Hershey Kisses pack in fluffy toole or anything ceramic people are likely to break as they are drunk getting into their taxi, Etsy offers some fun and cheap favors that are sure to have people talking. We picked a few inexpensive ones that we we liked, see photos, but feel free to wander about on Etsy. The labels, seen at Jessica’s Design Shop on Etsy, come in popcorn and coffee, as well as an array of colors. The origami wedding “cootie catcher,” available at Kat’s Krafts, also comes in an assortment of colors and is a great way to let your guests learn a thing or two about the happy couple. We also fell in love with the water bottle labels, available at Cherished Times.

An emerging trend is for grooms and their beloved groomsmen to head anywhere but the tux rental place for their wedding day attire. Here’s what we are seeing: Colorful yet muted or darker suits with ties that help pull the wedding colors together. Beach weddings are welcoming lighter, airier fabrics in cool shades like linen, whites and creams. Some men are doing without the ties and just turning to a crisp shirt, top button unfastened and untucked. In love with style and originality, we are giving this out-of-tux-shop trend the nod of approval. It makes for great photographs. That said, here’s what’s not OK:

• Hawaiian shirts: Unless you are facing some family traditions or are from the land of Aloha and really want to integrate this in your wedding, please refrain from turning the groomsmen into a rainbow of fruity colors. Hawaiian shirts are very, very busy and distracting. And we must say, anything that takes attention away from the bride is no way to start a marriage.
• Tuxedo t-shirts: This isn’t your high school prom and your time to rebel. Tuxedo t-shirts are what they are: t-shirts. Enough said.
• Vibrant colors: Should have put this with the first no-no but we thought it deserves a category of its own. We’ve seen weddings with teal shirts and white pants along with bridesmaids in teal and flower girls in teal, teal flowers. OK, we get it. You like teal. Please do not be confused. Vibrant colors are a DO for bridesmaids; in fact it’s an all-out trend right now with women wearing dresses in colors like mango, lemon, kiwi, and haute. But the men, come on?

For a while over the last decade wedding veils took a hiatus from the wedding scene as a must-have. Brides were opting for pretty flowers, costume jeweled headbands, or plush white feathers, even, to adorn their hair and face. We still like that trend, which hasn’t gone away, but we admit we like that veils are making a comeback. And… we still think that shorter, cocktail- length wedding dresses do not warrant a veil. A veil will make you look more like you are about the accept the Holy Eucharist for the first time and less like a person about to wed their sweetheart. As for longer, more traditional wedding gowns, pretty, face-framing, flowing veils are all the rage. Short, long, mantilla-style, pouf-style, sheer and light… stylists, designers, and wedding shoppes are seeing it all. (I will say that the veil with the v-shaped headpiece with the pear-shaped pearl dangling onto the center of your forehead will never make a comeback. Sorry.) Now, since we are San Diego Destination Wedding dot-com and not St. Peters Cathedral Wedding dot-com, we have a strong inclination towards simple, shorter veils. That means veils you are likely to trip on are a no-no. That veil Mariah Carey wore in her first wedding? The late Princess Diana? Just don’t do  it. Fun-in-the-sun and beach-chic weddings are no place for trains the length of football fields. Even if you are planning a church wedding, we urge you to keep the veil in check. Those days are over, mi’ lady. We are also frowning on the tiaras, which have only contributed to the “it’s-MYYYYYYYY-day” bridezilla problem sweeping the nation. Want to look stylish and chic? Find a veil that compliments, but doesn’t upstage your gown. Nothing says bride like a gorgeous veil.

According to a recent survey by Shutterfly Inc., that “something blue” is everywhere–dresses, table clothes, flowers, cakes, and more–as this calming hue was voted as the “it” color this wedding season. The survey results, released last week, also found that more brides are going the do-it-yourself route. The poll included insights from 422 brides who got married over the last 12 months and 500 brides to be. Here are some highlights:

• While blue took the cake on the hottest color (27 %), the black and white scheme (24 %), purple (19 %), and red (17 %) were also listed at the top.
• Brides are diving so deep into the do-it-yourself mode that Shutterfly noticed a 36 % increase in brides planning their own showers, even. Ouch! Where are your friends?!
• You might want to reconsider Vera Wang, ladies, as 19 % of recent brides said they spent too much money on their dress and food and not enough on memories, like their photographer (22 % said they’d wished they spent more) and their honeymoon (28 %).
• “Always the bridesmaid never the bride” may be losing its steam, as 37 % of brides said they’ve been maid of honor more than once.

The survey, conducted in March, is part of Shutterfly’s new wedding solutions services. The site–http://www.shutterfly.com/wedding–provides brides tools to help create their special day. From invitations to party planners, the site specializes in wedding stationary for do-it-yourselfers. Check it out!