From the Editor | February 2018

Dear Readers,

February is the month of love and what better time to celebrate brides.

In this issue, take a peek at the latest trends in bridal gowns. This year’s fashions offer clean lines, a demure neckline and a throwback to the 1920s. Styles from Cinderella Couture in Killeen, Page 38.

Gretchen Williams is a professional harpist who offers couples a different kind of wedding march. She often plays for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Let the heavenly sounds of her harp take away any residual stress from all the planning, Page 10.

Today’s wedding bouquets offer a simple elegance. Ginny Swalley of Creative Innovations offers fresh bouquets customized to a bride’s wishes. She also offers some variations on the theme with a lighter, softer Boho bouquet and the popular Undone bouquet, Page 26.

Did you know that your local H-E-B can create beautiful wedding flowers? Most of us, from time to time, have brought home a bouquet of loose flowers for ourselves or as a gift for someone else, but not too many people know that H-E-B can create stunning wedding bouquets, Page 28.

It’s time to get your sweet tooth on and wedding cake traditions seem to keep evolving. The semi-naked or naked cake is still in demand, as are personalized wedding and grooms’ cakes. A newcomer to the wedding cake scene is Nothing Bundt Cakes, which joins Lily’s Cakes, Sweet Eats, and Pink Tulips Cakery in this year’s issue. Another growing trend is the introduction of dessert tables that have popped up over the past few years. From cupcakes to bundtinis, cake pops to bakery bites, today’s brides offer their guests more choices for their sweet tooth, Page 30.

About Face Anti-Aging Institute offers skin care from facials to Botox and an assortment of other procedures to help get a bride ready for her special day. Owned and operated by Jeff Garberich, PA-C, multicertified and licensed in the procedures of injectables and his wife, Stephanie, manager and health coach, About Face offers solutions for skincare needs, Page 50.

Wedding etiquette rules have changed a bit in our digital age. Most people carry a smartphone that can do everything, including taking personal photos and posting them on social media. Certified wedding planners Beverly Moon of Unforgettable Events and Geri Schwartzman of Milestones, Memories and Events help us with some of the new common sense rules when it comes to cell phone use at weddings Page 54.

Do people still elope? Some do. But like everything else in our new worldview even eloping has taken on a new meaning for young brides today. Elopement is a young couple’s way of skipping the big wedding and having a small affair with the closest of family and friends. It could be as small as four people, to a family of 15 or 26. It could remain local, with nuptials at city hall, or an escape to someplace exotic or familiar, like Las Vegas. Read about the new elopement on page 52.

Ah, newlyweds. Just starting out in life and not a whole lot of pocket change to do some of the fun things you enjoy. Pogo Pass can help you change that. For one small fee, Pogo Pass offers a selection of activities to explore in your own backyard, or beyond, Page 60.

Wherever you are in your wedding planning, take a break and pour yourself a cup or glass of your favorite beverage and enjoy the February bridal issue of Tex Appeal Magazine.

Catherine Hosman
Tex Appeal Editor
editor@texappealmag.com
254-774-5234