Utterly Engaged } The 1st Online Wedding & Bridal Magazine. Inspiring Brides with Style.

Every issue that we’ve worked on, there are only a limited number of images we could use to fill our pages. Because of that, a lot of beautiful photographs never get shown. So we thought, let’s start sharing them with you! It’s a shame to keep them to ourselves and hidden in our hard drives. So one of our many 2012 goals was to show you more! Let’s start with our latest January issue and cover.

This cover and editorial feature is outrageously beautiful, isn’t it? Thank you to Kat Harris of Mike Colon Photographers, Jacqueline Weppner of Merci New York and her artistic direction and styling and Jupiter Jewelry for letting us feature their amazing jewels. Scroll down, because we have a lot more eye candy for you below. Enjoy!

In the next few days we’ll be sharing more, so be sure to check back here. We hope this will inspire you to think outside of the box when you’re planning your wedding day!

Credits: Photography Kat Harris, Mike Colon Photographers /  Art Direction & Styling Jacqueline Weppner, Merci New York /  Jewelry from Jupiter Jewelry /  Location  Metropolitan Building /  Model Kira From Fenton Moon  /  Makeup Artist Sharon Becker, Facetime Beauty Concierge /  Hair Stylist Maysoon Faraj, Facetime Beauty Concierge /  Floral Design Lori Meigel, Avaflora /  Wardrobe From Gabriella New York Bridal Salon, Rent The Runway, And Merci New York’s Style Shop On Newlywish /  Designers Pulled  Anne Maier-Ulla Maija, Badgley Mischka, Reem Acra, Vena Cava, Jannie Baltzer

I know you’ve heard it a million times: it’s a new year, a fresh start, out with the old in with the new! But it’s kinda true. Starting a new year gives us a chance to reflect on who we are or were and how we want to grow and change in the future – even in the smallest of ways. Now that I’ve gotten all deep on you, the UE team decided that for 2012 we need to switch up our beauty routines! Thus our Beauty Resolutions for 2012 were born.

We are all busy gals but that is no excuse not to take some extra time and maybe spend a little extra dough on making ourselves feel and look great. We deserve it and so do you!

This one is tough for some of us (me!). As tempting as it is to try and put that zit out of its misery, popping it will only make it angry and call its posse (other angry pimples) so whenever you even think about touching that little monster, imagine 3 more just like him.

For 2012 we are banishing teen wolf eyebrows. Pluck ‘em, wax em, thread em, whatever you gotta do. Brows frame your whole face and they should be taken very very seriously.

‘Nuff said.

We love our coffees and our teas, and sometimes (shhh…) even our sodas. But nothing can substitute for drinking water. There is a reason that a large percentage of our bodies are made up of this stuff. Replenish often!

Sometimes the latest beauty trends don’t look great on everyone. But that being said, there is no shame in trying them out! Who knows, that bright orange lipstick could be your new trademark color.

I have wanted to do a ballerina bun for at least 6 months. For whatever reason I am afraid to actually rock it on a night out. But this year I am going for it!
This one is most important of all. As women we are constantly bombarded with impossible standards. We spend countless hours and dollars to try and look like these women but it’s never gonna happen (they have teams of hair and makeup people as well as amazing retouchers). But perfect isn’t real. Instead we need to take a long hard look at ourselves and accept and even embrace our own beauty. Until then, no shade of lipstick and no man can truly make us feel beautiful.

So there you have it, girls. Beauty Resolutions for 2012 from us to you. Cheers to a happier, more beautiful year!

xoxo,
Lauren M. for the Utterly Engaged team

……………..……………..……………..……………..……………..……………..……………..……………..……………..

PS. Our February Issue no. 19 will be dedicated to Beauty & Health! If you love this post, you’re in for a treat! (Vendors, if you’d like to to be part of the Resource Guide in that issue, you can e-mail Henny at henny@utterlyengaged.com)

For an afternoon pick me up, we could use a little down time. Today I’d thought we head over to Raleigh, North Carolina. A sweet styled engagement shoot inspired after the late Elizabeth Taylor, and her role in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof“. It takes place here the movie leaves off, with Maggie and Brick united again and living comfortably in their old plantation home.

Don’t you think they look just like Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman in the movie? Can we just swoon all together now! Live View Studios’ vision for this shoot was to inspire couples to go beyond the “stand and smile for the camera” type of engagement shoot and to tell a story about their unique love.

Credits: Photography by Live View Studios
Makeup Artist Karen Michelle Clark
Location Oak View County Park

Happy Twenty Twelve!

With the New Year comes new look. That’s right. Utterly Engaged just had a facelift with a brand new cover and a sleek design refresh on some of the regular columns, like Ask Katie and Fresh Vendors. This year you will also be seeing new changes on the site to make it easier for you to find resources and vendors to help with your planning. So we hope you like what you see in the coming months!

If you were here with us last year at our new year party Snap Crackle Pop, you would remember the wall of Note to Self, where you get to write to your future self on a neat postcard by Envelopements. Guess what, folks, those postcards are on their way to you as we speak! When you receive it in the mail, please tweet us @utterlyengaged and tell us if you’ve fulfilled your dreams and goals in 2011! We would love to hear from you!

To welcome in a bright and shiny new year, we are proud to present to you our first issue of the year, Sparkles & Crystals! In this Issue no. 18, we want to be there to celebrate the New Year and your new beginning, whether you are newly engaged, newly married, or starting a new chapter in your life. From the gleaming aftermath of a New Year Party, to the perfect marriage of the old and new showcasing brilliant jewels from Jupiter Jewelry, to a practical tips and advice from our diamond experts Sylvie Levine of The Sylvie Collection and Darren Bagwell of Rock For Her, this issue is full of sparkly and glittery inspirations to get you started on 2012. The year is looking bright and shiny already! You might notice that there are no real weddings in this issue. That’s because we will be coming out with a Tear Jerker issue later this month, capturing special moments from your real weddings and engagements that define what Love is. So stay tuned!

We are excited to welcome in new opportunities, new possibilities and new friendships in 2012. There’s really no better time to say how much we thank you for helping us get this far, now going on our third year. We hope that we continue to inspire, guide, share, and be there for you through your wedding planning and beyond. It has truly been an honor.

May your 2012 be full of beautiful moments to cherish with your loved ones.

Cheers!

Henny & Lucia

Zooey and Joseph are so adorable singing this song together. *Sigh* I’m sure it’s all over the web, but we can’t help but share it with you here too. What are you doing New Year’s Eve?