Tag Archives: Haute Off The Rack

3 Tips For Choosing Wedding Bands

March 29, 2018

Hey everyone, have you ever thought about doing bridals after your wedding as opposed to before your wedding so can you invite your new spouse to join you in the photo shoot? I know these things are usually called “day after” photos, but let’s face it…who looks photo-ready after a night of partying. So why not schedule something fun with your photographer and new hubby after you’ve had some time to recover? Plus you’ll both get to show off your new rings. Speaking of rings, today I’m sharing the details on our wedding bands from Lee Michaels.

Blake and I both went to Lee Michaels to pick out our bands together. Blake said he would have rather gotten a new watch, but I explained that it didn’t really work like that! LOL! I was super excited about creating a stack of bands to wear with my engagement ring because who doesn’t want more bling! I thought I knew exactly what I wanted, but when I sat down to try on rings with the sales associate, I realized I had no clue what I was doing. Thankfully the Lee Michaels fine jewelry expert was super helpful and I ended up picking out two bands I loved. It only took me like two hours and 8,594,752 bands to find them! I’m kidding, but the sales associate was super nice and let me try on as many as I wanted to as many times as I wanted to and thankfully they had such a great selection for me to choose from! I ended up picking one yellow gold infinity band and a second yellow gold band without prongs to complement it.

Blake, on the on the other hand, only tried on two before making a final decision on a slender “barely there” gold band.

3 Tips for Choosing Wedding Bands:

  1. Do your research first! Search the style of your engagement ring on Pinterest to find photos of what your diamond pairs well with. Once you find styles you like, look up the different designers at the jewelry store you plan to purchase your bands from so you know the exact styles you want try on.

2) Make an appointment at your local jewelry store! We went to Lee Michaels because they carry a lot of the styles and designers I like.

3) Try on additional styles! I know I said to go in with a plan and I do strongly suggest that, but you’d be surprised at what styles you’ll fall in love with once you actually try them on!

Bonus Tip: Don’t make your final decision at your first appointment. Take photos of all the options you love next your engagement ring and sleep on it. It also doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion! Share the photos with the people who know you best and I think you’ll find that they’ll love your first choice too and even if they don’t, you’ll defend the style you truly want.

Funny story: When Blake first got his ring, he wasn’t too excited about wearing it because he wasn’t used to seeing jewelry on himself, but now he actually really likes it and even wears it to sleep! LOL

Velvet ring boxes c/o The Mrs Box

This is what bridal bouquet dreams are made of.  Kim Starr Wise killed it with this loose, asymmetrical bouquet that I requested for my shoot with Blake.

  Badgley Miskcha Katrina Heels (also available here)

| Shop My Look |

Outfit: Grace Loves Lace Verdelle 2.0 Dress — wearing size XS | Badgley Miskcha Katrina Heels (also available here) | Bracelets & Wedding Bands c/o Lee Michaels

Blake bought his navy extreme slim fit tux with black lapels on sale from Men’s Warehouse.

 Hair & Makeup by Courtney Graham | Shoot Location: Race & Religious in New Orleans | Photos by: Lainey Reed Photography 

This post is in partnership with Lee Michaels, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.

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Wedding Wednesday: Bridesmaids Dresses That You’ll Want To Wear Again!

March 28, 2018

Happy Wedding Wednesday everyone! Get excited because today you’re getting an exclusive first look into my New Orleans wedding. I’m not giving away all of the details just yet, but I’ve been getting so many questions about my bridesmaids dresses that I figured I should create a blog post with all of the information to order my exact dresses.

Even before I was engaged, I knew I didn’t want my future bridesmaids dresses to look like “bridesmaids” dresses (aka overly modest, stuffy or stiff). I truly wanted my friends to be able to wear them again to another occasion because there is nothing I dislike more than investing a couple hundred into a dress that I don’t even like knowing that I’m only going to wear it once. That being said, I avoided looking at any dresses labeled as a bridesmaids dresses and instead I had a look through my own closet of gowns and maxi dresses. I came across a couple of my favorite maxi dress styles by Amanda Uprichard that I had purchased over the years and immediately ran to my computer to find them in a color that would complement my wedding colors. I’ve been wearing pieces by Amanda Uprichard for years so I trusted the quality and fit and knew my friends would love her designs too.

Unfortunately, they were sold out everywhere so I reached out to their team to see if they offered custom dresses for bridal parties and sure enough they do! They’re even about to launch a brand new wedding collection with beautifully flowy styles and eye catching thigh-high slits. Just about everything I look for in a gown! Amanda and her team made created the dresses in the soft bone color I requested and they turned out even more perfect than I had imagined. In fact, I even ordered one for myself to wear to a future event.

You can special order my exact bridesmaids dresses in bone at www.amandauprichard.com or even choose them in a different color or style.

I style their nude colored dresses with rose gold Loren Hope jewelry.

| Shop My Bridesmaids Loren Hope Jewelry |

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Hair & Makeup: I chose local makeup artist, Ashley Sievert to do the bridal party’s makeup because I’ve been wearing her products for years and when it comes to natural looking makeup that pops, Ashley Sievert is your girl!  We all got so many so many compliments on our makeup that day that I decide to have Ashley give me a makeup lesson before our big wedding reception in Cabo so I could recreate the look.

For hair, I chose my go-to gal in New Orleans, Ginger Dufriend because she always kills it with perfectly undone boho hairstyles, which is exactly the vibe I was going for.

Fun facts about my bridesmaids:

I made my sister my maid of honor, but I’ve known these girls for 10+ years so technically they were all my maids of honor. I’ve been friends with one of them since the first grade and another one since 4th grade and the last one in 8th grade. We’ve all been inseparable ever since! In their wedding speeches, they all mentioned what a loyal friend I am. In other words…they were never able to get rid of me because once I become your friend, I’m yours forever!

Dress Hangers: I researched custom hanger options for my wedding dress and bridal party dresses for weeks and everything seemed slightly over priced or wouldn’t arrive in time. So I decided to just order 50 white wooden hangers with gold wires from Amazon and had my friend write everyone names in gold paint. They looked just as good as everything else I had come across except I saved myself $65 extra bucks.

I will be doing a whole blog post just about my wedding dress, but I found this Martina Liana gown at Town & Country Bridal boutique in New Orleans. I wearing style 905: French-Insired Lace Wedding Dress. I thought it fit my New Orleans garden glam theme perfectly!

The floral applique clutches we’re carrying are apart of my upcoming wedding collection with GiGi New York that we’re launching with my garden glam theme wedding in New Orleans very soon.

Wedding Vendors:

@elysejenningsweddings | Wedding Planner & Designer
@kimstarrwise | florals & signage |
@chasingwang | cakes
@distressedrentals | rentals
@kinfolkbrassband2018 | brass band
@oldtownpraline | secondline umbrellas
@ilmercatonola | venue
@henryhowardhotel | dressing location
@scriptura_nola | invitations & program hankies
New Orleans Classical and Jazz | Ceremony Music
@luminousevents | festoon lighting

Hair & Makeup:

@hairbyginger | hairstyles
@ashleysievertbeauty | makeup

Fashion Details:

@townandcountrybridal | Wedding Dress by @MartinaLianabridal
@amandauprichard  | bridesmaids dresses
@lorenhope | jewelry
@leemichaels | wedding bands
@giginewyork | clutches
@yosisamra | flats
@Markandgraham | weddings gifts

Film & photography:

@laineyreedphotography | lead photographer
@mpreau | 2nd shooter
@brookeboydd | film
@aperture_photos_co | iPhone

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New Orleans Bridesmaids Luncheon Cooking Class

March 27, 2018

Hey everyone, I hope you had a lovely first weekend of spring! Today I’m finally sharing the details from my bridesmaids luncheon cooking class at Simplee Gourmet in New Orleans. If you know me, then you know I like all of my parties to include games or activities. It’s the best way to get your friends and family members to interact with each other instead of just standing around talking. At my bridal shower I incorporated a flower crown making class so I thought it would be fun to turn my bridesmaids luncheon into a cooking class. Simple Gourmet was so kind to host us and they chose the perfect chefs to teach us how to whip up some New Orleans inspired dishes like shrimp and grits, lump crabmeat salad and crawfish and mirliton soup. Don’t worry I’ll be sharing all of the recipes to these mouthwatering dishes in today’s blog post especially the Crepes Fitzgerald that we made for dessert.

See more details on the MacKenzie-Childs Sweetbriar Collection here—> Bridal Brunch Table Setting With MacKenzie-Childs

| Shop My Invitations & Bridesmaids Gifts |

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 I ordered my bridesmaids luncheon invitations and menus from Minted.com and they even came with thank you cards to match. It took me forever to decide though because offer so many pretty gold foil designs.

As for bridesmaids gifts, I picked out quite a few different goodies for both my New Orleans bridesmaids and my Cabo bridesmaids. I gifted my new Orleans bridesmaids personalized Mark & Graham compact mirrors, rose gold Loren Hope jewelry, rose gold Yosi Samra flats, Ashley Sievert bronzer and contour brush and some floral appliqué clutch from my exclusive Gigi New York Wedding collection that hasn’t even launched yet to use on the day of the wedding. See a sneak peek below.

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Outfit: Lace Midi Dress | Nude Ankle Strap Heels | Sequin Floral Hoop Earrings | Gigi New York Clutch (will be available soon)

You may recognize the dinnerware and flatware from my at-home bridal brunch and that is because Simplee Gourmet also carries MacKenzie-Childs tabletop and kitchen collections. I’m in love with the new Sweetbriar Collection so be sure to check it out and add it to your registry if you’re a bride-to-be. See more details on the collection here—> Bridal Brunch Table Setting With MacKenzie-Childs

Simplee Gourmet had the most delicious pimento cheese board set out for us as we all arrived and it was the most divine pimento cheese dip I’ve ever tasted. Lucky for you, I’ve included the recipe below!

Jennifer’s Bridal Luncheon Cooking Class Recipes

Pimento Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
1 1⁄2 C white cheddar cheese, grated 1 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1⁄2 C mayo
1 t red wine vinegar
4 oz. pimentos
1⁄2 t onion powder
1⁄2 t garlic powder
1⁄2 t paprika
1⁄4 t hot sauce

Directions:

  1. Grate cheese and add to bowl.
  2. Add cream cheese, mayo, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and hot sauce.
  3. Using a hand mixer, blend all ingredients
  4. Fold in pimentos

Serve

Jumbo Lump Crab Salad

Ingredients:
Jumbo lump crab meat
1⁄2 bunch chopped green onions, whites and light greens only 1⁄4 C mayo
3 t jalapeño juice
1 t Tabasco
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Old bay to taste
3 T capers

Directions:

  1. Blot excess crab juice with paper towel once in bowl
  2. Add all ingredients to bowl
  3. Fold in carefully, making sure not to break up crab meat

Serve over lettuce or with crackers

Shrimp + Cheese Grits

Ingredients: Grits:

2 C stone ground cheese grits 8 C water
1 bag shredded Gouda
1 bag shredded cheddar

1⁄2 stick butter, cubed
1⁄2 c heavy whipping cream
S+P
Shrimp:
8 strips bacon, chopped
1 1⁄2 # shrimp, peeled + deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t Tony’s
4 green onions, chopped whites + light greens

Directions:

  1. In a stock pot, bring water to a boil. Slowly stir in grits, reduce heat, and cover. Cook for20 mins or until thickened. Stir in cheese, butter, + cream. Set aside to keep warm.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and reserve oil in pan. Use the oil in the pan to sauté shrimp. Once the shrimp are pink, turn off heat and serve over grits. Top with green onions.

Crawfish + Mirliton Soup

Ingredients:
2 T oo
2 T butter
1 C finely chopped onions
1⁄2 C finely chopped green bell pepper 1⁄2 C finely chopped celery

1⁄3 C finely chopped Tasso 1 T minced garlic
1⁄4 C flour
2 T tomato paste

6 C veg stock 1 bay leaf
1⁄2 t esssence 1 1⁄2 t salt

1 t liquid crab boil
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 C peeled + seeded + diced mirlitons 2 C chopped tomatoes
1 t chopped fresh oregano
1 # crawfish tails
1 T fresh basil, chopped

1 T fresh parsley, chopped 1⁄4 C heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Heat a 4qt stock pot over med high heat
  2. Add oo and butter to pot
  3. Once hot, add onions, bell peppers, celery, + Tasso, cook until very soft
  4. Add garlic and continue cooking
  5. After 1 minute, sprinkle flour over veggies and cook 1-2 mins
  6. Add tomato paste, stock, bay leaf, essence, salt, crab boil, + cayenne
  7. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer
  8. Allow to simmer 5 minutes then add mirlitons and cook until tender, 20 mins
  9. Add tomatoes + oregano cook for 5 mins
  10. Add crawfish, basil, parsley, + heavy cream and stir
  11. Cook about 5 more minutes
  12. Make sure seasoning is as desired

Serve

Crepes Fitzgerald

Ingredients: Crepe mix Cream cheese Powdered sugar Strawberries

25 T Grand marnier 10 oz Sugar
10 oz Butter

Directions:

  1. Mix crepe mix.
  2. Make crepes using a crepe pan.
  3. Spread cream cheese and powdered sugar inside crepes and fold.
  4. In a small saucepan heat butter + sugar, add strawberries and cook for about 3 mins.Add grand marnier.
  5. Pour sauce over crepes and serve.

If you’re looking to do something fun with your bridesmaids, family or group of friends, I highly recommend booking a cooking class at Simplee Gourmet. They did such a wonderful job planning the event from top to bottom and catering to my every request to make it a great experience for my bridesmaids.

Decorative Wedding Cookies by The Little Oven 

| Shop My Gigi New York Gifts |

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Not only did I host my bridesmaids luncheon at Simplee Gourmet, but Blake and I also registered for some of our wedding gifts there as well. Keep your eyes out for my upcoming post featuring all of the items we registered for. Simplee Gourmet carries the most beautiful selection of dinnerware, flatware and serving pieces. They also carry the top brands for wine glasses, cutlery and cooking pots and pans.

| Shop My Cabo Bridesmaids Gifts |

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A huge thank you to the owner of Simplee Gourmet for working with me to make this an an incredible experience for my friends and also to the amazing chefs,  Alexandra Waguespack and Amelia Rosso who managed to teach us how to cook!

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How to Transform Any Bathroom Into a Mini Spa

March 25, 2018

Happy Sunday everyone! I know I’ve already been back home from Cabo for an entire week now, but I’m still not ready to let go of vacation. All I want to do is sit back and live my best life. Unfortunately, nothing about my home resembles Cabo so I decided to change that and headed to World Market for some new outdoor furniture and indoor accessories. I figured some new outdoor furniture would help us enjoy our back patio a little more despite the boring view of grass and a fence. Also, I picked up a bunch of bathroom essentials to make our guest bathroom feel more like a spa and place of relaxation. I would have transformed our master bathroom into a spa, but it’s still full of all the beauty products that I haven’t fully unpacked yet from the wedding. If you could use a little at-home spa and relaxation time too, pay attention because I’m sharing how to transform any bathroom into a mini spa with four main essentials!

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  1. patterned towels & bath robes— Patterned towels instantly add a hint of texture and dimension to your overall bathroom design and how can you visit a spa without a comfy robe!

2) bubble bath crystals & soaps — A soothing warm bath wouldn’t be complete without some fresh floral scented soaps and luxurious bath crystals to help soften and renew your skin.

3) body scrub & bath brushes— A part of relaxing is getting rid of all those unwanted toxins and dead skin cells so body scrub is key. I am obsessed with this invigorating charcoal body scrub.

4) moisturizer & relaxing scented candles— Last but not least, you can’t leave spa with feeling refreshed, moisturized, hydrated and relaxed.

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This post is in partnership with World Market, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.