This vendor, Fantasy Floral Designs owned by Amanda Heer has taken the bridal bouquet to the next level.  Her Vintage Brooch Bouquets are absolutely AH-mazing.  Fantasy Floral Designs has been featured by all the top wedding magazines such as The Knot, Best of Weddings 2008 and 2009, Ceremony magazine, Romantic Homes magazine, just to name a few.

Mary Helen and I are dying for the opportunity to photograph one of these.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to keep your bouquet forever!  Talk about sentimental.  The perfect heirloom to be passed down to your daughter, and granddaughter?  Wow.  These are so cool.  Just one thing to remember… you may want to get a “toss” bouquet for your bridesmaids to catch.  You don’t want anyone leaving the reception with a concussion.   ~Ann-Marie

Kate describes Swap the Dress as:  ”Swap the Dress, LLC is an online business website designed from one former bridesmaid to another. In the event that you haven’t, cut your dress off to “totally wear it again,” you’ve come to the right place.  We are a listing service that allows bridesmaids from across the country to buy and sell dresses.”

What’s great about this site is a bride on a budget can get designer dresses for over half the cost.  What a genius idea.  You can search dresses by color, size or designer.  I was browsing around the other night and noticed that under some colors there were 3-4 sizes of the same dress to choose from.  There were dresses from some of my favorite designers like Bill Levkoff, Watters and Watters, Jim Hjelm.  Not only does the site feature dresses, but Kate also has a blog in which she talks about trends in the wedding industry.  I love reading her blog and seeing what kind of sexy stuff brides are using for decor and dress in 2010.

Whether you are planning a wedding and looking for an economical favor for your favorite girls, or you have been a victim of the “$200 for one-day dress”, this site is just for you. ~ Ann-Marie

]]> http://www.sweetwaterimagesblog.com/2010/03/16/swap-the-dress-vendors/feed/ 0 http://www.sweetwaterimagesblog.com/2010/03/10/calligraphy-cake-toppers-vendors/ http://www.sweetwaterimagesblog.com/2010/03/10/calligraphy-cake-toppers-vendors/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:10:50 +0000 admin http://www.sweetwaterimagesblog.com/?p=271 Facebook is such an amazing thing.  Mary Helen and I have made some very valuable connections with vendors all over the United States, all of which are small business owners that are trying to market their work just like us.  Every once in a while you come across an artist’s work is too good not to share. Calligraphy by Jennifer is one of those AMAZING artists.  What an awesome attention to detail.  Wouldn’t your guests feel honored to know that the invitation you sent to them was hand-written and addressed just for them?  wow… (I wonder if she gets hand cramps?)  

and my personal favorite– look how clean and elegant the writing is when paired with clear vases and white accents.

Because I am friends with Jennifer on Facebook, I saw the other day that she was talking about Sari Watkins, owner of, Toppers with Glitz, an awesome cake-topper company specializing in crystal-encrusted cake toppers.  Talk about B-L-I-N-G.  These have got it goin’ on.  Watkins has been praised heavily by her clients as well as been featured on  WE TV’s “Platinum Weddings”, was a recipient of the 2010 WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards, and featured in WedLuxe and The Knot Magazine’s.

Not only are these beautiful keepsakes, but wouldn’t they be awesome to photograph? ~ Ann-Marie