1. Zipper Bangle  2. Madame Butterfly Metal Chrome Zipper Necklace from ReborneJewelry  3. Steven by Steven Madden 'Stacy' Pump  4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Iconic Charms Zipper Bracelet  5. Zip Tie by ToyBreaker  6. Marc by Marc Jacobs Iconic Charms Zipper Pull Necklace  7. BCBGMAXAZRIA Zipper Embellished Clutch

For this and many other offers from some of Portland's best wedding pros, download the Winter 2010 Swag Bag!

Because, if you're anything like me, you'll be craving a tea party of your own after viewing these gems, we've rounded up some of our favorite tea party tools, accessories, and wedding favors for your consideration.

And... because the mere mention of Alice in Wonderland is enough to send most people off to grab their car keys and head to the theater, we are giving one lucky Style Unveiled reader a pair of movie tickets to use for a date night with their sweetie.

How to win a pair of movie tickets:

Write a comment on this post about what you're most excited to see in the new Alice in Wonderland film! {We're betting on a lot of Johnny Depp answers...!}

A winner will be chosen on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 from among all qualifying {non-spam} comments across all participating Style Unveiled sites :)

1. Marquis by Waterford Ava Teapot Set  2. Heart Shaped Tea Infuser  3. Williams Sonoma Barnardaud Vintage Tea Cup & Saucer  4. Tea Cup Favor Bags  5. Primula Flowering Tea  6. Laroma Teapot  7. "Gra-tea-tude" Tea Box  8. Tea Time Tea Infuser Favors 

Alice in Wonderland illustration found at Ghost Radio Blog

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"

~ Alice

Whisk Kid made an incredible rainbow cake for her friend's going away party.  We love the element of surprise that this cake presents: crisp and white on the outside and then {BOOM!} bright, beautiful colors of the rainbow on the inside.  What a great idea, Whisk Kid!

So, next time you're imagining what your wedding cake will look like, don't forget to include daydreams of what the inside will look like as well.  Give your guests something that they will talk about long after the wedding is over :)

Why have a professional timeline?

Often times this is your first wedding and you don’t know what will work best for the flow of events. With the help of a coordinator, they will put together a timeline accommodating all of your vendors needs and make it flow so your guests will never have to wonder what’s next.

“I have a master timeline that I sent out to all of my vendors.”

While having a master timeline helps all of your vendors be on the same page regarding the flow of events, what the timeline doesn’t do is run its self. Often times things come up; the florist is running a few minutes late after running into traffic, the pictures are taking longer than expected, they can’t find Uncle Lou so they want to wait a few minutes to start the ceremony, the food isn’t ready and the dj announced for everyone to go through the buffet; whatever large or small thing that comes up on your wedding day, having someone there to help keep the timeline on schedule and coordinate with the vendors when changes to the timeline happen is key to success.

“My mom/aunt/best friend can run the day!”

Your mom is organized, your aunt used to be a wedding planner, your best friend loves to do flowers; when it comes down to it, you want the people that are closest to you to enjoy your wedding day with you, not running around setting up and making sure everything is running smoothly. The year before I became a wedding coordinator I was the Maid of Honor in one of my best friends wedding. That day I learned not only that I could run in heels, but the importance of a month of wedding coordinator. Even though I had all of the details planned and knew exactly what we were going to do, what I didn’t account for, was that I would be busy being in pictures and not have time to make sure everyone else was on time or able run back and forth setting up and taking pictures. I cried for a week after her wedding [I never cry] wishing that the day would not have flown by in what seemed like a matter of minutes [another reason to hire a videographer, luckily she did] and that I would have gotten to enjoy those moments with her!

Last words of wisdom 

Whether you’ve been looking forward to your wedding day since you were four or just months ago, hiring a professional wedding coordinator can ensure that you get to enjoy the day with the ones you love. Let the coordinator worry about what goes where, coordinating with vendors, setting up your reception, making sure the guest book is out, that the favors are placed at each place setting or at a table in the entrance, that the vendors know what’s next or if you’re running a few minutes early or behind. Find a coordinator that cares as much about your wedding day like it’s their own, but is able to step back in the moment of stress and troubleshoot, calm and effectively! After all, you shouldn't have to worry about if they ran out of beer or the dj didn’t show up.

~Mandi

1. Juicy Couture Lace Drama Necklace  2.  AK Vintage Jewelry Subtlest Beauties Earrings  3. Dolce & Gabbana Peep Toe Lace Boots  4. BCBG Max Azria Mock Two Piece Satin and Lace Dress  5. Carlo Fellini Annie Lace Clutch  6.  Vera Wang Lavender Label Lynette Flat  

1. Vera Wang Rhinestone & Lace Bib Necklace  2. Via Spiga Over the Knee Stretch Leather Boot  3. Guess Pearl and Black Lace Necklace  4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Flower Lace Dress  5. Cosabella Celine Lace Trim Thongs  6. Licorice Clutch Wristlet from TheEnchantedSquare

Here are all the details of the giveaway:

For this contest, Swoon will be giving away three bridesmaid dresses to one lucky bride-to-be! Here’s how the competition works: the future bride will submit a written statement detailing why she adores her bridesmaids and what they mean to her.  The giveaway begins March 1^st and runs through April 30^th, and the gal with the loveliest story will win her choice of three stunning gowns! The email address for submissions is: enterme@swoondress.com. An important note to remember, the dresses take 3-4 months for production, so weddings in early spring might not make the deadline.

What's more?  The designer of Swoon, Amy, is so darling and was just a bride herself!  Check out this article we posted of her wedding:  Amy and John's Wedding

Here's what Kim Foren had to share:

What to expect:

• The initial consultation is the best time to really “dream big”. Flower consultations typically take place at the beginning the budget-creating stages so really go all out and get pricing for what your ideal day would look like. From there you can always scale back depending on what is truly important to you.
  
  • An itemized bid is the best way to receive a proposal. That way if your flowers exceed what you can budget for them; you know what eliminating each piece will reduce the overall cost by.
  • Knowing the cost of each item will help you form a budget and stick to it!
• Florists are not mind-readers. Be very clear about what you like and DON’T like. It’s easy to get caught up in what you love and forget to tell us something makes you cringe.
• Be open. With so many brides on a budget these days, being open and flexible is super important. It helps us stay within your price range while still creating the overall “feel” that you’re going for. We’re known for asking our brides and clients to let us “do our thing”… trust us and it’ll pay off!

What to come with:

• Inspiration! Bring anything that you feel might articulate the overall “feel” that you envision for your wedding. This could include save-the-date-cards, your invitation, fabric swatches, images from magazines, hobbies or a theme, etc.
  
  • For example: the bride in our Timberline/Winter bouquet wanted to incorporate her and her fiancés love of reading the New York Times together. Her bouquet included tiny flowers made from pieces of the paper and was so delightful and meaningful.
• An idea of who we are and what our style is. We are artists who custom design each item. If you are looking for an exact replica of something you saw online, we can do it, but chances are it won’t come across as beautifully as a more inspired item. It’s like going to Anthroplogie and asking for an Eddie Bauer fleece. It just wouldn’t be what you were looking for.

What NOT to worry about:

• Don’t worry about a small budget. We get this all of the time! Bride’s tentatively emailing to ask for pricing because they have already assumed we’re too expensive. Try to remember – when it comes to money… it’s all relative. We’re not here to judge. We’re here to guide you as you assemble the pieces of your perfect day and we can help you within the reasonable parameters that you/your parents have set.
• Don’t worry if some of your details aren’t in place yet. If you haven’t chosen a venue, a dress, a color palette… no worries! We are experts at helping you conceptualize and organize all of those details that are buzzing in your head. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, a floral consultation may be just what you need to help narrow your choices and create a vision for moving forward.

We LOVE the ladies at Champagne Wedding and Event Coordination!  They are Portland experts to the core and always have fabulous planning ideas.  Recently, they've been running some hopping contests gathering the most darling love stories.  Now they're looking for proposal stories and when you share yours on their blog... you can win a $50 gift certificate for a local Portland restaurant.  Plus, there are all the other proposals and love stories to read and feel all warm and fuzzy about :)

How to enter:

Visit the Champagne Wedding and Event Coordination Blog...

In the comment section of the post answer the following questions:
[1] Your name:
[2] Your fiance/spouse name:
[3] How did you meet?
[4] When did he/she propose?
[5] How did he/she propose?

Good luck!!!