As a member of Two Point Oh! LA - an LA-based fashion blogger network - I frequently learn about fun and interesting local fashion events. This Saturday, August 21 there is such an event happening called Fall N2 Fashion Pop Up Trunk Show & Beauty Bar. This seasonal pop-up shop is hosted by tha Hotness Blog and will take place at Royal / T Café & Artspace in Culver City from 12-5. Admission is free unless you go for the $25 VIP upgrade, and I highly encourage you to click this link to see the Royal / T Café storefront. Everything looks so stunning I only wish I could attend.

Get Free Save The Date Cards from Wedding Paper Divas.

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

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Have you seen the new TOM women’s wedges? My good friend just bought them in blue and they are adorable, comfortable and reasonably priced. In my opinion the also possess a certain fashionable wedding season utility because with a wedge you will never have reception heel issues.

Be the reception on the beach, at a rocky vineyard or an estate with soft grass, with a wedge you will have zero opportunities to ruin your heels. And while nothing about this shoe screams black-tie, it is a great summer look. Also, they will probably be super comfortable for when you start to boogie (see my top ten wedding reception songs here).

Plus, in case you are not familiar with the TOMS one for one philosophy, for every purchase made TOMS donates one pair of shoes to a child in need. Again, I am a huge supporter of adding social responsibility to your wedding season and what a fashionable way to give back. TOMS also has a wedding collection of flats for the bride, groom and wedding party. Not a bad gift idea for a bridesmaid thank you; especially as it also helps children. Or as a wedding guest, if you are traveling a lot this wedding season, TOMS flats are perfect for packing as they take up very little space and exude comfort.

Related topics:

1. SWS Fashion Friday - It’s In The Bag!
2. SWS Fashion Friday - Be Something New
3. SWS Fashion Friday - Brides Blush, Bridesmaids Glow
4. SWS Fashion Friday - Global Brides Gift & Get Back
5. SWS Fashion Friday - Amelia Rose Initial Charm Pendant
6. SWS Official Maid of Honor Call Me Card

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

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Bridesmaids, from the moment you say “I Do” to your bridal party duties expect to spend a lot of time on your feet. For this week’s SWS Fashion Friday we salute your hard work by featuring some fashionable foot relief. We’ve already told you about SoleMates, but have you heard about Fit In Clouds?

Fit In Clouds are portable ballet flats that fold in half and fit in a pouch that is slightly larger than an iPhone which means the pouch will fit nicely inside your wedding day purse.  Complete with sturdy, comfort-providing, rubber soles, Fit In Clouds come in a multitude of colors - including Wedding White for brides. For Bridesmaids, clouds come in pink, gold, silver, black and blue. Prices range from $18.95 to $24.95 and come with free shipping if you order directly from the website.

Brides, if you are still looking for thank you gifts for your wedding party, why not throw this sole-ution into the mix as part of a bigger gift!

Related topics:

1. Basic Bridal Shower Etiquette 101
2. Bridal Shower Cocktails by Chef Pace Webb
3. SWS Fashion Friday - Many Dancefloors, Many Shoe (Clip)s
4. SWS Fashion Friday - The Bridesmaid Blues
5. SWS Fashion Friday - Do I Really Need A New Dress?
6. Expert Survival Tip: Survive Wedding Season Without Ruining You Heels! by Monica Ferguson Murphy & Becca Brown    

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

Your Attendance Is Appreciated! ^™

I now officially have six weddings on the calendar for 2010. Just three days ago it was only five. Only.

Thankfully four of them are here in Los Angeles and so far I suspect that none of them are black-tie. What does this mean? One: only two weddings this year will require a travel budget - Maine and Australia - versus all four weddings in 2009. Two: no black-tie means I can have a little more fun picking out my party clothes.

But what I do have to think about is how many different dresses I am going to need this year. And how many rehearsal dinners are still to come? And how many dresses will I need to buy? And that is all before I even get to shoes. Or a wedding present.

Truthfully, I have so many dresses for all different occasions and seasons - pretty much all of them black - I should be thinking about how to repurpose what I already own.  I guess the real question is: am I going to permit myself to buy new dresses for this wedding season? The answer: I just might. 

So what about this one?

Eva Franco Oroya Dress ($188) featured on Anthropologie.com

Ever since Anthropologie (Urban Outfitters) announced that they are going bridal I have been visiting their online store more and more so that I can get a sense of what they currently carry in anticipation of what is to come. I found this Eva Franco dress and think it could definitely do the trick for at least two of my Los Angeles weddings - the two of the four that don’t have the same guest lists. Spoiler alert: this dress could even get a second encore at the wedding in Maine. 

That’s three weddings covered by one dress, and I still have my twobirds Bridesmaid dress from the New Year’s Eve wedding that will absolutely get another turn around the dance floor. So I just got four of the six weddings covered right here.

Why I like this dress? It’s flirty, fun and flattering. AND it has a gorgeous red sash. 

As far as having experience with this brand, I already own a few Eva Franco designs I bought on Bluefly so I am generally familiar with the line. In addition to the excellent quality and thoughtfulness of her designs, I feel like Eva Franco adds a unique personality to each piece with her choice in fabrics and prints. The dress is $188, but if I wear it at least twice…you do the math. What do you think?

Last wedding season I bought three new dresses because I was a bridesmaid three times.  For the fourth wedding - on the beach in Santa Barbara - I wore a Banana Republic strapless, floral dress that I have had since 2005 (which really should receive a round of applause because that means it still fits). Financially, I am very happy not to have three bridesmaid dresses to purchase this year and feel like I would love to buy a new dress - of my choice.

Want to know what those 2009 bridesmaid dresses cost me? In total - including alterations and one rehearsal dinner dress - I spent more than one thousand dollars on three dresses (one of which I will never wear again and is currently on sale at The Green Hanger Shop if any one is interested).  Costs-revealed, I think I need to put this Eva Franco dress on my wish and really dig into my closet before I make any decisions.

You bet your wedding champagne that this year I am not spending anywhere near a grand on wedding-related clothing. 

Related topics:

1. Bridesmaid Dress 101
2. Bridesmaid Jewelry by Candy’s Art
3. Black Tie Means Tuxedo
4. SWS Pick: Versatile J.Crew Bridesmaid Dress Under $200
5. Stay Away From The Pretty White Dress!
6. Expert Survival Tip: Reselling Your Bridesmaid Or Wedding Dress by Judy Meggs

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

Your Attendance Is Appreciated! ^™

The 2009 wedding season included at least 6 engagements, 5 weddings, 5 bachelorette parties, 5 bridal showers, 4 round trip plane tickets to and from wedding events, 3 bridesmaid dresses, 2 engagement parties and 1 partridge, no wait, 1 bridal shower. Did I attend them all? Almost all.

How did I survive wedding season this year? For starters I had to learn how to say no. While I still have to purchase 3 wedding gifts - thank you holiday bonus and the understanding of my newlywed friends - I learned a multitude of ways to survive this year and want to share with you my top picks for 2009:

1. Staying within a budget ala The Wedding Diet.
2. Getting money back by either Reselling Your Bridesmaid Dress or getting a tax break by Donating Your Dress To Charity.
3. Increasing shoe longevity and wear-ability with Solemates.
4. Discovering affordable lingerie at Loehmanns and quality guest gifts at Ross.
5. Identifying killer wedding products like Canditto’s creative and easy-to-use solution for archiving and sharing wedding guest photos and Creative Custom Cardboxes‘ beautiful and original designs.
6. Trying on the best Bridesmaid dress ever by TwoBirds Bridesmaid that I will absolutely re-wear in 2010, and always showing up prepared with a cover-up.
7. Uncovering unique Bachelorette Party themes and resources including a shooting range celebration, a scavenger hunt, yoga on the beach and a bachelorette party planner: Bride’s Night Out!
8. Learning not only where to party in Las Vegas and Miami but also what to expect at a Hindu wedding and a Rehearsal Dinner.
9. Looking outside the wedding registry and uncovering truly distinctive gift alternatives like custom garters, the vinturi wine aerator, cooking classes, Tastebooks, Nature’s Notebook custom prints, personalized wedding poems and one-of-a-kind dbO Home accessories.
10. Remembering that traditionally you have a year to purchase a wedding gift but no matter what, always remember to bring a card.

Happy Holidays, Elle Shapiro

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

Your Attendance Is Appreciated! ™