It’s been a long time coming…but honey, it is worth the wait. The brand-new JW Marriott Houston Downtown opens its doors this week, and what you’ll find inside is, well, in word…GORGEOUS. See it for yourself on Thursday, Oct. 9, when we bring you the legendary I Do! Bridal Soiree, unveiling 2015 wedding trends LIVE at downtown Houston’s hottest new property–and most alluring new wedding venue. Stunning tablescapes, breathtaking floral displays, A-list wedding experts, fresh-off-the-runway couture bridal gowns, gourmet food, sparkling cocktails, live entertainment and VIP treatment from arrival to departure…along with $$$ swag bags for each and every bride in attendance. Oh–and lest we forget, buy your tickets by 11:59 pm this Friday, Sept. 19, and you are automatically entered to win a lavish weekend-night JW Marriott Houston Downtown getaway, complete with gourmet breakfast in bed AND a divine couple’s massage at the hotel’s extraordinary Spa by JW. All your wedding planning needs and desires, all in one ultra-relaxing VIP cocktail party, plus a chance to win the romantic escape of a lifetime. Buy your tickets now, and get ready for WOW!
Tag: Giveaway
$500 Swag-Filled Designer Handbag GIVEAWAY
*Products included in bag may differ slightly from those pictured; additional items included are not pictured.
Two things that just go together: Houston’s only luxury bridal event AND glamorous, gorgeous SWAG! So here’s some splendid news: One bride who buys her I Do! Bridal Soiree tickets by Tuesday, Sept. 30, will score a supple, super-chic Tano leather handbag filled with beauty, skincare, jewelry and home accessory goodies from the likes of Kate Spade, John Masters, REN and more, all courtesy of fabulous West U boutique Lily Rain—the city’s hottest new spot for bridesmaid and hostess gifts, bridal beauty products, designer stationery and stylish accessories.
If you plan to wed in 2015 or 2016, you do NOT want to miss the I Do! Bridal Soiree, coming to the brand-new JW Marriott Houston Downtown on Thursday, Oct. 9. Our signature bridal cocktail party is unlike any other bridal event you’ve ever experienced. Chat with an exclusive selection of Houston’s finest wedding experts, indulge in gourmet cuisine, fine wine and divine cocktails, and feast your eyes on the most gorgeous displays of wedding decor, floral design and tabletop artistry you’ve ever encountered.
Reserve your pre-sale tickets now, and you’re automatically entered to win! Our winner will be announced at the show, and on Facebook, on Thursday, Oct. 9
Good luck, lovelies. And we’ll see YOU at I Do!
Register to Win an Awesome Newlywed Name-Change Service
Photo: MissNowMrs
If you think finding the love of your life and planning/putting on the wedding of a lifetime is a process fraught with obstacles and challenges…just try switching your life over to your new married surname. Figuring out which identification cards and accounts you need to switch to your married name and then doing so can take hours—hours that you could be spending kissing, canoodling, antiquing, watching “Real Housewives” together in your matching jammies…that kind of thing.
Fortunately for our lovely Houston brides, we discovered MissNowMrs’s unique name-change service, which guides brides through a series of questions and uses answers to auto-populate all of their state and U.S government name-change forms, as well as notification letters for all their creditors, and then supplies detailed filing instructions for each form/letter. A MissNowMrs gift card makes a great shower gift, so make sure your mom, his mom and all your ‘maids and BFFs know!
Even more fortunately for y’all, we’re giving away 10—count ’em, 10!—MissNowMrs service packages to 10 lucky Houston brides. To enter for your chance to win, simply:
1.) Email us your name, fiancé’s name, wedding date and booked or hoped-for Houston wedding venue.
2.) Sign up for WeddingsinHouston.com (you’ll qualify for this bridal giveaway & oodles of others worth thousands of dollars, plus you’ll get access to exclusive events, parties, trunk shows, vendor discounts and the most comprehensive wedding-planning tools and resources a Houston bride could wish for!)
3.) Wait. We’ll notify our winners on MONDAY, JUNE 30, and provide each with an exclusive MissNowMrs promotional code to redeem your name-change service…when you’re good and ready, of course.
Good luck, loves!
GIVEAWAY: Enter Now to Win the Grill of a Lifetime!
Photo: OptiGrill
We Houstonians love our grilling. Like, we really, really love our grilling—rain or shine, big backyard bash or romantic dinner for two, outdoors or…in? Yes, indeed, darlings: This week’s giveaway will make one lucky bride the owner of a T-fal OptiGrill, the Rolls-Royce of electric grills. Here are just some of the features of this $179 grilling machine:
• Sensor cooking automatically adapts to thickness of food
• Six different cooking programs: burgers, poultry, sandwiches, sausage, red meat and fish
• Delivers perfect doneness from rare to well-done
• Manual and defrost settings perfect for vegetables, frozen dishes and personal recipes
• Angled, removable drip tray removes excess grease and fat to create healthier meals
This baby is an ideal addition to your newlywed nest, so if you don’t happen to win, do think about adding the T-fal OptiGrill to your registry. It also makes a great gift for Dad (Father’s Day is June 15!), so, should you win, do feel free to re-gift ; ).
TO ENTER: Email us your name, fiancé’s name, wedding date and wedding venue (booked or hoped for), and a line or two about what you’d throw on that killer grill and serve up to your future Mr. BFFs and other summer-party invitees.
DEADLINE: Completed entries MUST be received no later than 9 p.m. this FRIDAY, MAY 23.
Our winner will be notified and announced on Facebook on TUESDAY, MAY 27. Good luck, loves!
Cathy Rascoe Custom Bridal Headpiece Giveaway Ends 9pm Tomorrow!
Photo: Cathy Rascoe
We are so excited about our upcoming spring cocktail party and wedding showcase that we’ve teamed up with top Houston milliner Cathy Rascoe for a very exciting giveaway: One lucky bride-to-be who reserves her I Do! Bridal Soiree at The Corinthian tickets by 9pm this Friday, April 11, will work directly with Cathy Rascoe to create a custom bridal headpiece worth $500. Wondering about the artist behind this uniquely awesome giveaway? Our exclusive Q&A sesh with the designer herself should shed some light on her lovely work!
Houston Wedding Blog: How did you get your start in millinery?
Cathy Rascoe: I have always had a fascination with ladies’ hats, stretching back to childhood. I started in millinery when I was getting married and I could not find any bridal headpiece that I thought was well made and fit my design aesthetics. I created my own piece for my wedding—which, frankly, I would never even show to anyone today. It was not a great design, but it was what I could do at the time, so it was better than what was available or that I could find, at least.
HWB: What do you love about bridal millinery?
CR: When I’m creating pieces I completely lose myself in my work. I lose track of time, space, and all sense that there is anything else in the world except the piece that I’m composing. It is thrilling to be lost so completely in the design phase. I become so emotionally involved that I often end up in tears when I am finished.
HWB: What’s involved in creating a bridal headpiece or veil?
CR: The most important characteristic, I find, is the beauty. Each piece wants and needs to be beautiful. I don’t strive to create avant-garde or unusual pieces. My pieces are timeless and classic. Each piece requires many hours of design, engineering, sewing, finishing and composition. Each piece has its own soul, in a way that beams out to the world and shouts, “Look at me! I’m gorgeous!” Guests should literally gasp when they see my brides—and it happens a lot with my pieces. It is very gratifying and satisfying to be able to connect with people in such a visceral and emotional manner.
HWB: What does a custom headpiece add to the bride’s ensemble?
CR: To me, a bare head is incomplete. Have you seen pictures of brides with just a veil or a pretty hairstyle and thought, “Meh?” The most iconic brides throughout time have had an unforgettable headpiece. I feel a duty to help women to realize that they can be insanely gorgeous with even just a little something on their head that represents their personality.
Photos: Cathy Rascoe
Meet Cathy Rascoe in person at the extraordinary I Do! Bridal Soiree at The Corinthian, Thursday, April 17, from 6-9 pm. Purchase your all-inclusive $25 presale tickets NOW, before they sell out! We’ll see YOU at I Do!