we just got a look at these gorgeous photos from an engagment session (with an anna bé bride) by one of our favorite colorado photographers – cheryl ungar at cheryl ungar weddings. aren't the bride-to-be and her fiance so cute?!

if you look closely, you'll notice several of these shots are taken around the highlands (including in our shop). my favorite is the one with the neon ice cream cone!

With promises (more like threats) of more snow on the horizon, I started thinking of when I used to live in Hawaii...and of course I'm pining for perfect tropical weather in the 70's year round. For anyone thinking of heading to the islands for their honeymoon but hasn't been there before (or want to get off the beaten path), here's my dream itinerary for 7 days of newly wedded bliss in paradise:
 
Day One: I love the fact that there are non-stop flights from Denver to Hawaii (wasn't so lucky when I lived in NY) So if you can possibly sit still that long, enjoy the ride and get ready for some serious fun. Check into your hotel... if you're going to Maui I love the Four Seasons in Wailea, down on the southern part of the island. Grab some food in Kihei on your way down and keep the room stocked with some fresh pineapple, macadamia nuts, and various other goodies. Then early dinner and chill out, you've got a great week ahead of you.
 
Day Two: Check out the nearby beaches. Wailea Beach is one of my favorite in Hawaii and steps from the Seasons. Head a little further south past the mansions that dot this part of the island and get down to Big Beach for a little more local flavor. The rock outcropping on the north side of the beach is scalable, and will put you on Little Beach, Big Beach's little sister and known as the nude beach on Maui. Stay near the center of Little Beach and don't go all the way to the far side, just trust me on this one. That night, go ahead and do a luau, the food is awesome (and there's entirely too much of it) and there are some with great entertainment including hula dancers, fire twirlers, aerial dancers, singing and more.
 
Day Three: Check out Lahaina, with its galleries and quaint island village feel. Parking is usually a nightmare but once you're in town you won't need your car. Up a little further are the beaches by Kaanapali. Tonight's totally the night for the all out high-end meal. I love Mama's Fish House for incredible seafood.
 
Day Four: Time to check out of the Four Seasons, and head back to the airport for the 2nd part of the trip. Head a little past the airport over to Paia for a super cool north shore surfer town. Lunch there, then a little inter-island flight to Oahu... Honolulu if you want to the nightlife, and to the North Shore for something a little quieter.
 
Day Five: It's all about the North Shore! If you're staying up this way (Turtle Bay!!!!!) head down to Haleiwa to Masimoto's for shaved ice (there's always a line, but it moves fast, and it's totally worth it) and then make stops along the way wherever looks inviting. Waimea Bay for killer pounding surf, Shark's Cove (named for its shape, not because of attacks, I swear!) for some snorkelling without the throngs of tourists you'll find on the other side of the island! If you don't mind the drive, you can come all the way down the windward side and head to Lanikai, one of the most perfect beaches I've ever seen. Grab a burger and beer in town then head back to rest up for tomorrow.
 
Day Six: Indulge in what you've been missing. If you need a shopping day, Ala Moana mall between Chinatown and Waikiki is super saturated with designer goodies. More time in the outdoors? Take a hike up in the Manoa Valley...it'll rain but it's incredibly lush! Or for art lovers, the Art Museum has an incredible collection of Eastern art and the Contemporary museum up Tantalus Mountain has a great sculpture garden and killer views out past Diamond Head.
 
Day Seven: While your wedding bliss continues, the tropical breezes are coming to an end. Take a late evening flight so you can squeeze in one more day and get those last rays in to perfect your tan (to the envy of all your landlocked friends.) This is also a great time to see the tranquil beauty of the Pearl Harbor monument, or do a final ascent up Diamond Head to get uninterupted vistas of the Pacific.

Four Season's Resort in Maui

Little Beach

Lahaina

masimutos menu

the other night we popped over to living the sweet life (our neighborhood bake shoppe) for their monthly tasting event.  we were treated to yummy cake samplings that were just a little bit unexpected but oh so delicious.  my personal favorite was the apple cake with cream cheese frosting! DELICIOUS!!! And to make the evening even more sweet, there was scrumptious stationery on display by wordshop. 

even if you've missed this tasting, you can still sample cupcakes on thursday march 11 along with luce photography or an old fashioned candy bar on thursday april 8 with letterpress designer genghis kern. 

Our friends over at Magnolia Hotel just informed us of this fabulous offer for our brides! If you book your wedding reception in 2010 at the Magnolia you recieve two roundtrip airline tickets! So, if you are looking for a beautiful, urban reception venue in Denver AND wouldn't mind having a couple of roundtrip tickets in your pocket, I'd call Magnolia right now.

We are the first shop in the Denver area to carry Martina Liana! Martina Liana combines heirloom quality beading with luxurious fabrics. Our first few gowns arrived and we'll have more styles arriving over the next few weeks. These gowns are getting rave reviews from brides for not only its design but also its affordable price! Also, check out our trunk show coming up!

 How long have you worked at Anna Bé?

I’ve been a part of the team since the beginning of November- woo hoo!

What is your favorite color?

I love any “fire” color- yellow, orange and red… not sure if has something to do with me being an Aries?

List three of your favorite things to do.

Fave things to do: Completing a challenging hike, meeting friends for margaritas, and i love to cook!

What is your favorite about Denver?

SUNSHINE!
My hometown only saw 65 days of sun a year, so I appreciate the Vitamin D!

Favorite spot in the Highlands?

Since I moved to Colorado last March, I feel I am still exploring all that the city has to offer. I love the small shops, patios and rooftops, and happy hours.

But, if I have to choose right now, my vote goes with Sushi Sasa- what could be better than sake and jalapeno slices on Toro?!

What is your favorite part about working at anna bé?

I tell everyone it’s like reliving my childhood: anna bé is like Christmas day, imaginary-play and dress-up all in one. I get to open boxes with ready anticipation for a beautiful gown I’ve never seen and then imagine what the bride and her wedding will be like. Paired along with trying on some on my favorites it’s a girl’s dream come true.


What is your current favorite dress at anna bé?

I love Lela Rose’s designs! The Gallery in the shop stands out to me for its classic tailoring, yummy fabric and understated elegance. To be honest, I love the one’s that get overlooked, but surprises everyone once they’re on.

What are your life goals?

Showing up and making the most of life.
Being calm when chaos erupts.
Being patient.
Being more forgiving.
Being more considerate.
Being less grumpy.
Being there for everyone.
Getting the most out of every day.
Building a strong and happy family.
Learning and growing old with my best friend.


Update on Feb 3 by Anna Bé

Wait a minute! I have a new favorite dress - The Falls by Lela Rose just arrived and it just moved up the list to be my new favorite dress.

No matter your political leanings, we can all agree that the men and women serving our country are heroes. So when Joanna Bailey (of the fabulous Joanna Bailey Weddings) called to ask if we could donate a dress for her deserving military couple's dream wedding giveaway, we said YES! 

Kendra Johnson and Corporal Curtis Evans were married this fall at the Redline Art Gallery in downtown Denver. Kendra is a Graduate student at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC and Corporal Evans is currently serving our country in Iraq. Kendra and Curtis were selected from couples across the country who submitted entries to Joanna Bailey Weddings. 

Joanna Bailey Weddings pooled a fabulous team to pull off the wedding including: Socialite Studios,Sara France Photography, Go To Girls, Made in Multiples, The Watermark, Perfect Petal, Bella Bridesmaids, Robin Lee Accessories, Three Tomatoes, and Anna Be. 

And since the event was so spectacular, Joanna has decided to make this an annual giveaway. The Military Dream Wedding 2010 will be held in Charleston, South Carolina and the contest will begin March, 2010. 

Yay! The Lela Rose bridesmaid dresses have arrived and they are so cute! Each dress was better than the next one and would be so loved by your maids or even perfect for a rehearsal dinner dress. Here's a couple of pictures of my favorites. 

Pulling together a chic maids look that is coordinated yet flaunts the individual style of your maids can be tricky. For a little bit of inspiration, I turned to my latest tv obsession, Glee. I realize that I should probably be more impressed with how someone manages to blend Halo with Walking on Sunshine, but I could not stop staring at the impressive mix of different dresses that worked so well together.

Because we've all seen a hodge podge of dresses that have looked disastrous together (even black dresses require some thought and a little planning), I've compiled a couple of tips as exemplified by the Glee girls to help.

1. Tis the season. Even though some of the dresses are sleeveless and others have sleeves, all of the dresses worn are summery and share a casual feel.

2.  A common denominator. Pick an accessory or in this case, matching gold shoes, to tie everyone's look together.

3. All colors are not created equal. Pay attention to how the overall color palette looks together. If you're sticking with one color such as yellow, it's important that they are the same tone and within the same color family. 

4. Fabric counts.  All of the dresses are a cotton blend of dresses (no shiny satin mixed in) helping pull everything together! 

Have fun and mix it up!  

AND THE WINNER IS NICHOLE!

When I first met Nichole this summer, we both knew "her dress" the moment she put it on...everything about the fit was perfect and though we had over a year til her wedding, we could just tell that it was right. I was also so excited to see her again last month when she showed her parents and newly married sister and made the final decision on her dress. We took somewhere around a bagillion pictures, and it was so sweet to see the whole family together; it reminded me a lot of the excitement when my sister found her dress for her wedding last year.
There are people who just light up when they put on their wedding dress, and Nichole was radiant. And when we pulled her name in our Birthday Dress Drawing, I was jumping up and down I was so excited. Nothing of course compared to Nichole's excitement (obviously!)... her mom later told me they spent 15 minutes just screaming for joy when they got the news they were so excited.
It's truly a blessing to get to be a part of so many girl's weddings, and to help them select a dress that they'll remember for the rest of their lives. I'm so excited for Nichole and for the great story she'll have for years to come! Congrats!!!!!

Don't miss this delicious event...

Check out our fabulous party...

Style Me Pretty is the ultimate in inspiration. And I figure that they are doing such a wonderful job that I don't usually bother highlighting one of their weddings. But, this morning I stumbled across these images and just had to share. I was totally blown away by the utter gorgeousness. So simple and so stunning! The couple picked a bright tangerine color and just let it pop against the white backdrop. Plus, I love that this inspiration is something that is achievable for lots of budgets.

 Oh... And as for that gorgeous Vera Wang dress, you can check out an anna be bride, Julie, who put a totally different feel to the gown.

VERA WANG:

LELA ROSE:

{anna, lela, and me}