Here’s the third in the series. How do you not horrify the kids!?

The Fairy-Wedding-Father™: Pre+Teens

by savvyplanners.co

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Our Personal International Celebrity Makeup Diva: Michele Bell!

Boudoir Photography has gained popularity in recent years.   Some “nearly-weds” are still a bit hazy on what Boudoir is, and some aren’t sure if they’d be comfortable taking the plunge in a racy Boudoir photo shoot.

So today, I have introduced a photographer with whom I have had the sheer pleasure of working with exclusively (inspired by these gorgeous Boudoir shots from Critsey Rowe).   I thought I’d clear the air and fill you in on the ins and outs of Boudoir!

What is Boudoir Photography?

It is the art of visually capturing the inner and outer beauty of regular folks in a sensuous and classy way.

Why would I schedule a Boudoir session?

There are a few things to remember when considering a boudoir shoot…

1. Boudoir photographs make a wonderful wedding day, Valentine’s Day, or Anniversary gift for your husband or wife!

2. If you are planning your wedding, you’ve likely been working hard on getting your bod into tip top shape. Capture your pre-marriage or pre-baby body in all of its glory with boudoir photos! You can look back on these when you are old and grey, and remind your husband or wife how hot you looked when you said “I Do”!

Where do these Boudoir photo sessions take place?

Most reputable boudoir photographers will conduct your shoot wherever you feel most comfortable. Typically, this would be in the privacy of your own home.   Some alternatives: your best friend’s house (for some moral support!) or a hotel room (to help unleash your inner sexpot!)

Of course, Hair and Makeup Artist Michele Bell could be on hand to alleviate your stress with her most perfectionistic artistry to enhance your outer appeal and reveal your sexy inner self.

So people, what are your thoughts on Boudoir??

I’m a pretty shy girl, and am not always comfortable in front of a camera. But after seeing how beautiful boudoir photos can be, when the time comes and I’m ready to tie-the-knot, I think I’ll be stripping down for a boudoir session! Although a few glasses of champagne and Chambord, pre-shoot, will definitely be in order.

Beautifully Yours~

Michele Bell
International Hair and Makeup Artist
www.bridestobeny.com

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Editors Note:  savvyplanners.com could not recommend anyone more highly than CRITSEY ROWE for Boudoir photography.  We have had excellent photographers in our master vendor list for years, which now includes Ms. Rowe,  that are outstanding at shooting the Boudoir photography for men.  We will be happy to book either Ms. Rowe, our other photographers or our own Make Up Diva: MICHELE BELL to create Boudoir shots beyond compare.  Just ask us how.

By MARCINHO SAVANT

T’is the season for question popping, happy acceptances and nervous britches!  YES!  It’s the engagement season!

It’s fairly common knowledge that the greatest number of marriage proposals occur during the major holidays (starting near Christmas, through New Years Day and into Saint Valentine’s Day.

If you’re fairly stealthy in the wrapping of the ring box in an off-sized container, you might even be able to delay the wonderful impact of the surprise a few seconds more!

So now you’ve got the ring.  You’ve got the intended.  You’ve asked for their hand and spoken with the ‘rents…  what’s next?

Well if you’re the recipient of this special ring, take a deep breath, show your happiness to the ring presenter and get ready to start one of the greatest times of your life… working with a professional and designing your wedding!

It’s your day, BOTH of you, and an important first step is to locate a designer who will not only share their expertise and insider knowledge with you.  They should be extending vendor discounts and support from day one.

The FIRST panic will be about what to do next and here is some of our expert advice for couples on creating their wedding budget.  This is usually only shared with contracted clients but here you are!

“All Weddings Lead to Bankruptcy!” Here’s Help.

Take a look at that post and I’m pretty certain you’ll feel some instant relief knowing that the process is not carved in stone and destined to lead you into harm’s way.

With an expert on your team, to keep you out of the potholes and traps, planning YOUR wedding will be an honor for us and a PLEASURABLE and relaxed experience for you!

Are YOU ready for the zone!?

Our Personal International Celebrity Makeup Diva: Michele Bell!

A wedding is no doubt one of the greatest highlights of a woman’s life. Whether it is a small event or a grand affair, the bride is usually the main attraction. That can account for why she is always so particular with how she would like to look or why she changes her mind so often in between the space of the makeup trial and the actual wedding day.

What really happens is that the bride just wants to look beautiful for herself, her groom and her guests. She also wants to feel comfortable with her makeup as a wedding day is quite a long day for her. She wants to look in the mirror when she is finished, recognise herself, be awed at her beauty and be pleased with the makeup application.

Having said all of that, the one look that pleases almost all brides is a traditional bridal look. If you are a bride who’s doing her makeup herself, a makeup artist or a makeup artist who’s doing her own face for her wedding, this is how to achieve this look.

Face

1. To clean and toned skin, apply a hydrating cream, lotion or gel (depending on the skin type) with a foundation brush.
2. Prep the skin with a silky primer. This gives the skin a smooth finish as well as makes the foundation last longer.
3. Use a matte liquid foundation and apply to the face with the same foundation brush. Make sure the foundation is the same colour of the skin, because flash photography would show it up if it is not. Apply right into the hairline, blend up by the ears, over and under the eyes and under the jaw line. Blend, blend and blend well.
4. Apply a matte concealer as needed under the eyes, around the nose and mouth and blend with the ring finger. The natural warmth of the finger causes the product to blend into the skin easily.
5. Apply a light dusting of finishing powder all over the face.

Eyes

1. Use matte and slightly pearlescent shadows for the eyes. Shimmery colours do not stand up well under flash photography.
2. Use a flesh coloured eye shadow all over the eyelids.
3. With a fluffy blending brush, apply a light brown colour that is darker than the flesh colour into the crease and blend well into the first colour.
4. Intensify the outer corners only with a dark matte grey. Use a pointed brush to precisely place the colour.
5. Blend this same colour along the bottom lashes.
6. Get waterproof gel eyeliner in a dark brown or black brown colour and apply a very thin line close to the top lashes.
7. Curl lashes, if you need to and apply two coats of waterproof (again, in case of waterworks) to top and bottom lashes. Comb out gently with a lash comb.
8. Groom brows with a brow pencil and then set with brow powder. It is okay to go a little stronger with colour here as brows tend to disappear when photographed. Ensure, however, that they still look natural in real life.

Cheeks

1. Smile and apply a dusting of a rosy blush to the apples of the cheeks and blend out well towards the temples.
2. Repeat so that the blush does not disappear during the course of the day. Another way to set the blush is to apply a gel blush right after the foundation and then apply a powder blush after the finishing powder.

Lips

1. Prime lips with a soothing lip balm.
2. Use a natural colour lip liner all over the lips, lining first then filling in the entire lip.
3. Dust some finishing powder lightly over the lips.
4. Add a rosy lip gel. This should not be glossy as it would reflect badly when photographed. Spray the entire face with a fixing spray and you’re finished!

Beautifully Yours~

Michele Bell
International Hair and Makeup Artist
www.bridestobeny.com

by Associated Press via Staten Island Advance

December 01, 2009

ALBANY — Gov. David Paterson said today the way is now clear for a state Senate vote on legalizing same-sex marriage in New York.

“It’s on the special session calendar, we are in special session, we have cleared the roadblocks away,” Paterson said. That means a vote could come as early as Tuesday night, although the outcome remains uncertain.

Such bills have been high-profile topics in Eastern states this year.

The prospects of a New York vote comes the same day high-profile New Jersey Democrats are pushing for a vote on the neighboring state’s own gay marriage bill.

It also comes one month after Maine voters rejected the legalization of gay marriage there, creating what opponents of same-sex marriage in other states called a setback for the cause.

The latest obstacle to a New York vote was a deficit reduction plan that has occupied most of the leaders’ time since September. Some senators had insisted on completing a deficit plan before they would take up the same-sex marriage bill.

Lawmakers are now expected to approve a plan to knock $2.8 billion off a projected $3.2 billion deficit late Tuesday night or Wednesday.

“We have an opportunity to pass marriage equality in New York,” said Paterson, who introduced the bill in April.

The Assembly, also controlled by Democrats, approved the measure in May, so approval in the Senate would be the final legislative hurdle before it heads to Paterson for his signature.

A leading advocate, the Empire State Pride Agenda, and the bill’s Assembly sponsor, Daniel O’Donnell, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

This week could be a good time for lawmakers on the fence to limit exposure back home: A vote in December, six months after the regular session ended and at the same time a major fiscal crisis is addressed, is preferable to voting on the bill as the only agenda item later in the month or in 2010, an election year.

Paterson said he was assured by Senate Conference Leader John Sampson that the bill would get a floor vote by the end of December. Although Paterson says he’s confident the bill would pass in the Senate, he says he wants a debate and vote — even if it fails — as way to advance the cause and force lawmakers to take a stand.

Opponents like Democratic Sen. Ruben Diaz said they didn’t think a vote is imminent, but they are ready to oppose it.

Diaz said Sampson told him that he would be the first to be told if same-sex marriage was headed to a floor vote.

“He hasn’t told me,” Diaz, a conservative minister from the Bronx, said of Sampson. “If he said that (to Paterson) Sampson is lying to me … when people lie to me, I get angry.”

Sampson spokesman Austin Shafran said the Senate plan remains the same: To take up the same-sex marriage bill sometime after the deficit was addressed.

The New York State Catholic Conference ramped up its fight today.

“In the last several years, voters in 31 states have taken up the issue of changing the timeless definition of marriage and 31 times they have voted to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” said the conference’s executive director, Richard E. Barnes.

While Maine voters rejected the legalization of gay marriage, in New York, polls show slightly more support than opposition for the measure.

Soon after, advocates said their position was further bolstered when New York’s highest court affirmed more rights for gay couples married legally in other states as the Senate headed toward a promised vote, which advocates say they will win.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont and was for a time in California. A New Hampshire law takes effect next year.

Paterson said it was “reprehensible” that the bill was delayed until a deficit reduction plan was negotiated with legislative leaders.
—
twitter.com/siadvance

Reminder:  At the direct request of state legislators who support marriage equality, Garden State Equality and our organizational allies are holding a lobby day this Thursday, December 3rd in Trenton beginning at 8:00 am.   This Thursday, December 3rd at 8:00 am, we’ll meet at Garden State Equality’s office at 110 West State Street in Trenton, across from the State House.

From there we’ll do a public march to the State House, where we’ll have a hospitality room to serve free breakfast and then free lunch.  Help us spread the word:  Please forward this email asap to your friends, family, congregation members, organizational colleagues, list servs and blogs.  Thank you so much.

Questions?
Journalists, contact Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality Chair, at cell (917) 449-8918 or Goldstein@GardenStateEquality.org
Members, contact Hannah Johnson, Garden State Equality Field Director, at cell (920) 222-1878 or Johnson@GardenStateEquality.org

Happy holidays from all of us at Garden State Equality.

New Jersey ranks number one because our millions of progressive citizens expect nothing less than full equality for everyone.  Our state is ready for marriage equality now.

A report by the national LGBT organization eQualityGiving.org ranks New Jersey as number one in the United States, tied with three other states, for LGBT civil rights.  The States of Equality Scorecard by eQualityGiving, online at www.equalitygiving.org/States-of-Equality-and-Gay-Rights-Scorecard, ranks America’s top four states as New Jersey, California, Iowa and Vermont.     The four states received a 5.5 score on a 6 point scale.  No state received a 6.
“New Jersey ranks number one because our millions of progressive citizens expect nothing less than full equality for everyone,” said Steven Goldstein, Chair of Garden State Equality.  “Our state is ready for marriage equality now.
“The people of New Jersey have welcomed each advancement for LGBT civil rights with open arms rather than clenched fists.  The only backlash our political leaders should fear is the backlash that would result by not enacting marriage equality.  That backlash would be guaranteed.”

Since Garden State Equality’s founding in 2004, New Jersey has enacted an unprecedented 210 LGBT civil rights laws at the state, county and local levels.   For the complete list of 210 laws, visit www.gardenstateequality.org/pdfs/210.pdf

Among the 210 laws:
Twelve expansions of the domestic partnership law from 2004 to 2006; a civil union law in 2006; a law expanding the Law Against Discrimination to include the transgender community in 2006; and in 2008, a statewide law that simultaneously overhauls the state’s anti-bullying law, expands the state’s hate crimes law to encompass the transgender community, and toughens up the entire hate crimes law to strengthen the fight against all bias-motivated violence.

And in 2009, in conjunction with his speech at Garden State Equality’s annual Legends Dinner, Governor Corzine signed an executive order mandating that the state indicate gender on driver licenses in accordance with one’s own gender identity or expression, yet another milestone for transgender rights.

Join Garden State Equality and other progressive organizations at
our statewide lobby day in Trenton this Thursday, December 3rd beginning
at 8:00 am at Garden State Equality’s office across from the State House,
110 West State Street, Trenton.  No RSVP needed.  Free breakfast and free lunch.

Our Personal International Celebrity Makeup Diva: Michele Bell!

Bridal makeup is all about the bride. Today, many brides opt for a makeup look that is modern, a little fun and, as always, makes her feel and look gorgeous. This is especially true for women who are used to wearing makeup everyday and want something a little different. The bride would always be the guide for the exact colours but the look below is flattering on those modern brides that are a little bit daring and works with almost any colour scheme.

Face

1. Prep the skin as always with a satiny primer so that the skin looks flawless. Use a foundation brush to apply it.
2. Use a concealer on the under eye area and above the eyes. Blend well with the ring finger. Apply lightly first and reapply as needed.
3. Use a liquid foundation that has full coverage to hide any imperfections in the skin. Apply with a foundation brush or a blender sponge for a flawless finish. Be careful around the under eye area so as not to disturb the concealer. Blend well into the hair line, ears and below the jaw line.
4. Mattify the skin with loose powder, using a powder puff. Dust off any excess with a clean powder brush.

Eyes

1. With a fluffy brush, apply a lightly pearlescent vanilla or pale gold shade to the brow bone and blend downwards onto the mobile eyelid, particularly down into the inner corner.
2. At the outer corner of the eyes, apply a satiny taupe colour or a medium grey tone. Blend well inwards, focusing the majority of the colour on the outer edge.
3. To the middle of the eyes blend in a rose blush tone with the previous colours. There should be no harsh lines to this look, so take the time to blend well.
4. Intensify the outer corners only with a dark matte grey. Use a pointed brush to precisely place the colour.
5. Blend the matte dark grey along the upper lash line with an angled brush.
6. Add more of the vanilla tone right under the arch of the eyebrow and to the inner corner of the eye.
7. Use the dark grey and smudge on the lower lashes with it. Make sure the colour connects to the grey used at the outer corner of the eye.
8. Line the upper lash line with black waterproof eyeliner.
9. Add two coats of waterproof mascara to bottom and lower lashes. Comb out gently with a lash comb.

Cheeks

1. Contour the cheeks and face with a tone of foundation slightly darker than what was used before. Use the same foundation brush for expert blending. Put the contours under the cheek bones and around the edge of face to make a natural oval face.
2. On the apples of the cheeks use the same rose tone that was used on the eyes. Blend outwards and backwards towards the temples. Using the same rose tone unifies the entire look.

Lips

1. A soothing base like cocoa butter should be applied to the lips first.
2. Blot a little powder onto the lips.
3. Use a lip liner in a natural colour all over the lips. This will encourage the lip colour to last longer.
4. Then use a little spatula and take out some the same rose colour and apply to the back of the hand.
5. To the same area squeeze out a dot of a clear lip tar and mix with the blush colour to create a custom lip colour. A lip tar is similar to a lip gloss but dries to a satin finish.
6. Apply the colour to the lips with a lip brush. Spritz a finishing spray onto the face and today’s bride is all done!

Beautifully Yours~

Michele Bell
International Hair and Makeup Artist
www.bridestobeny.com