Manolo for the Brides

Um, either Katie is bending her knees a bit or Tom is wearing elevator shoes because she usually towers over him in flats. That said, congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Cruise. In case you were unaware, they were married in a 15th-Century castle in Bracciano, Italy. Armani designed the wedding duds. And the couple’s vows were likely Scientologist through and through. There is a breakdown of the ceremony elements at the Daily News of Halifax. Here’s a peek:

…they may be told that newlywed “girls” expect “frills” and maybe a cat, and young men are prone to “forget” their promises.

Um, okay. Moving on.

Can’t see buying your diamonds the regular way? Want to pretend you’re buying your baubles on the stock exchange? Then look no further than IDEX Online. In their own words:

Derived in real-time from actual asking prices of the global diamond industry, IDEX Online Diamond Prices objectively reflects price trends as they happen. The Diamond Index and Diamond Drivers were formulated following comprehensive research and analysis of the IDEX inventory database, aggregated since February 2001.

And, finally, if you’re of the rainbow persuasion (getting hitched somewhere like New Jersey, perhaps), the Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine may be right up your alley. From rings to etiquette to gifts, this online mag highlights the best in gay-friendly wedding gear. Requires subscription.

Though many gowns have decorative and non-functional bustling incorporated into their designs, the bustles that keep new brides from tripping over their trains while dancing are usually installed by a seamstress. A good seamstress will be able to determine upon examining a dress what bustle design will both look good and work well. I don’t know about you guys, but I find bustles infinitely fascinating. For one thing, a well-done bustle just looks absolutely stunning. And anything that will keep me from ripping the hem off a long gown with a high heel (something I’ve actually done) is golden in my book.

Many brides-to-be know very little about bustles–other than the fact that they will be needing one. And a quick Google search reveals a lot of sites that talk about bustles but few that actually feature accompanying illustrations. Which is all right, I suppose, except what good is knowing that an underbustle (or French bustle) is created by pulling “over” sections of the train and securing them on the waistline or at designated points on the back of the train? I want to see bustles in action, baby!

If you, too, want to see the best in bustles, I highly advise you to check out The Great Bustle Debate at Leanna.com or the Trains, Etc. glossary at Weddings.Pirate-King.com. Both illustrate their discourses on bustling with pictures of the bustles in question.

And that underbustle I was talking about? Well, it looks like this:

Handy with a needle and thread? Try making your own bustle using the directions at About.com.

There are plenty of veil-makers out there. But most haven’t been in business since 1922. Edward Berger, however, has been topping off beautiful blushing brides for about 80 years and continues to create stylish, sparkly, and sometimes funky veils, headpieces, crowns, and tiaras in New York City’s Fashion District.

You want a fingertip length veil with a wide lace edge? Done.

You want a veil that keeps going and going and going? Oh, and also has rhinestones? Not a problem.

And you want to pair it with the perfect headpiece? Sure thing. The friendly folks at Edward Berger will answer any questions you have about putting together the perfect wedding day look.

Perhaps when you call you can politely ask them to organize their web gallery a little better…they could start by grouping all of the veils together instead of mixing them hapharzardly in with the headpieces.

Remember the Mario Bros. and XBOX cakes? In the grand tradition of video game themed groom’s cakes, may I present the Galaga cake:

Wade of Rockett Science sent me a link to this most unusual cake…I say unusual because most cakes do not have an upright portion. In case you don’t know, Galaga was a fixed shooter arcade game released by Namco in 1981. Try your hand at playing it here.

But wait, there’s more. r4kk4 of Glitter Pissing crafted a number of cakes that would make perfect groom-specific confections (or a neat treat for a gamer bride):

Wow!

I love the simple elegance of this Daymor dress. At least, I think it’s a dress. It may be a two-piece suit with a skirt that ends promptly at the knee, for all this picture tells me. What I really hate about some of the designers and manufacturers of wedding wear is the lack of information available on the web. I’m not saying they should necessarily sell their wares online, but how about a little information above and beyond model numbers (in this case, 4001)?

Seriously. I had a look about to see if I could find a retailer stocking this classy, feminine number that could provide me with a little more information. I discovered only that Style Number 4001 is available in regular and plus sizes, and comes in a range of hues from ice white to champagne to lilac to teal to black.

I also learned that Daymor Couture dresses are designed for MOBs - but a quick look at their collection tells me that most of their dresses would be better suited to the brides themselves. I mean, what bride wants mom to show up at the wedding wearing a soft white off-the-shoulder dress with a delicate lace overlay on the bodice or a sleek spaghetti-strap sheath gown in crystal?

These days, faux flowers need not look like something you picked up at the local dollar store. Even if sometimes they still do. A quick look around the ‘net tells me that there are plenty of stores selling beautiful silk blooms and stems at relatively low prices. If you’re good with crafts or know someone who is, why not try your hand at making your bouquet, your attendants’ bouquets, and your centerpieces.

The trick is to start with really beautiful silk florals and greenery. If you go for the cheaper stuff, your floral arrangements, handheld or otherwise, will almost always end up looking cheap. The good news is that even really nice silk blossoms are economical, at least when compared to the price of fresh flowers. Check out the stems at both Afloral.com and Pick Your Own Bouquet for prices. And they won’t wilt, which is good news for those brides-to-be planning summer weddings in tropical climes.

Before you buy any blooms, though, collect ideas. Books like Wedding Bouquets: Over 300 Designs for Every Bride and To Have & To Hold: Magical Wedding Bouquets can help you decide on a color scheme and style.

Once you know what you want, you can either get yourself a how-to book like Creative Wedding Florals You Can Make or consult one of the many fabulous sites offering step-by-step directions that will help you create beautiful bouquets (and more). I recommend:

The magnetic flower toy applet at Links 2 Love, which lets you create a virtual bouquet. Maybe not so useful, but fun nonetheless.

Corrina M.P.’s easy-to-follow guide to making your own bouquets at the Associated Content web site.

The more technical list of floral arranging directions at eHow.

And the Do it Yourself Directory at Anvente. Though, to view the directory, brides-to-be need to pay a fee, the price includes the guidance of a real florist who will answer any questions novice floral artists put forth.

Don’t forget to give props to a veteran tomorrow if you’re in the U.S. And for everybody else, here is something veteran-related I found whilst scouring the headlines for cool wedding news…

Earlier this week, Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada hosted a renewal-of-vows ceremony as part of the country’s Year of the War Bride celebrations. More than 250 war brides (i.e. British and European women who came to Canada after marrying Canadian soldiers posted overseas during WW II) attended the day’s activities and 17 couples publicly renewed their vows. Here you see veteran Norman Hall getting a little sugar from his wife Gwen. Rawr!

Some shared their stories with The Chronicle Herald:

“I had a wedding dress (that) was made out of parachutes,” Mrs. Elsley Foulds, 85, said. “You couldn’t buy anything, so I rented a dress and shoes and a veil.”

“My husband had booked to go on leave the next day and he saw me across the room,” Mrs. Jean Sharlow, 81, said. “He cancelled his leave and we started courting. He said, ‘When you know me better, I’m going to ask you to marry me’ and I thought, ‘Oh, what a line these Canadians have.’ ”

Is that not just the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard? Of course, not everyone was pleased to see the war brides when they first started filtering into the country through Pier 21 from 1942 to 1948. Almost 40,000 war brides entered the country and many were greeted with boos and catcalls from Canadian women who were angry that the eligible Canadian men were being married up and that many war brides were able to get transportation to Canada before the soldiers themselves were permitted to make the journey.

The lovely Ruby asks:

Someone recently mentioned the tradition of a groom giving a “bride’s gift” to my fiance and his response was, “Isn’t that the ring?” Perhaps reasonably so? I know I’ve heard the terms “bride’s gift” and “groom’s gift” before, but can’t place them. I’ve tried Googling, but all I get are a lot of web sites trying to sell me things. Do you know whether this really is a tradition? And if so, what *is* the tradition?

Web sites trying to sell you things…tell me about it. Sometimes all you want is a little information and it’s such a pain in the butt to dig through all of the retail sites to find it. For some reason, hundreds of sites selling lace hankies appear in the search results when you Google wedding gifts in general. Though I think real hankies need to make a comeback, it’s not as if there is a huge market for them, as far as I can tell.

The tradition of the groom’s gift (given by the bride to the groom) and/or bride’s gift (given by the groom to the bride) has been around for a long time. Since waaaaay before the early middle ages, in fact. Like a dowry, it was frequently a standard part of the “marriage transaction” in many parts of the world back when brides and grooms hardly knew each other before tying the knot. The gift was often comprised of jewelry or fancy clothing.

Before wedding rings became a common part of the common Western marriage ceremony, the gifts brides and grooms gave one another were imbued with far more symbolism than they usually do today because they basically fulfilled the role rings do in the present, i.e binding the couple symbolically. Also, when wedding rings were first introduced, only women wore them so brides may have given their grooms some other gift in lieu of rings.

It should be noted, however, that this is not only a Western tradition. In ancient Israel, grooms would give their brides-to-be a mattan (or bride’s gift) to show his adoration for her.

Today, the groom’s gift and bride’s gift is often something frivolous (like sports tickets), personal (like jewelry or a watch), or intimate (like some memento of the relationship). Usually the gifts are not too expensive and serve as a nice pre-wedding reminder that all the hullabaloo is less important than the upcoming (and hopefully lifelong) marriage. And, of course, not all couples feel compelled to give this type of gift - like many elements of the modern wedding, it can be embraced or tossed aside at will.

But the tradition itself does stand separate from the giving of both the engagement ring and the wedding ring. So to those couples who feel inclined to exchange pre-wedding gifts, rings don’t count.

Here is my new standard disclaimer: Brides and grooms are under no obligation to give their guests favors. That said, I love me a good favor. A good favor, IMHO, is something I will actually use. Like soap, for instance. Everyone gets dirty, so everyone needs it at one point or another. Gettin’ your fall on? How about maple leaf soap leaves?

Of you’ve got kind of a girly thing going (quite common at weddings, I hear) you could opt for lavender scented rose soaps.

Prefer to DIY? Then flip through the pages of Favors with Flair: 75 Easy Designs for Weddings, Parties and Events, which shows brides and grooms (as well as other host-y types) how to make fabulous favors using easy to follow, step by step directions. The projects are easy, so even non crafty types - or clumsy ox types like me - can get into the act!