Tag lines tend to crack me up. For example, Olivia Luca bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses are, “Custom made for modern times.” What does that even mean? I much prefer the text from Olivia Luca’s “about” page.

…design your own dress, in your own style, for your own body, without sewing a stitch. A dress that you could fashion specifically for yourself but without picking up a single thimble. Or pricking even a pinkie. A dress that you could create at your own leisure, in your own way, maybe even from the comfort of your own home. No rush. No muss. No pressure. No sewing skills required. An exquisite dress made from beautiful, lush fabrics, with every seam stitched just for you. A dress that is affordable but impossibly appropriate.

And then, really, I rather much much prefer the dresses themselves!

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It’s getting more common by the minute for brides to tell their attendants to, “Just show up in this color.” I myself was once in a wedding where I received no instructions other than ‘purple,’ and believe me when I tell you I spent ages going from store to store looking for something that was good looking, appropriate, and befitting of my MOH status. Oh, and did I mention purple wasn’t exactly a hot color that year? Ask me how many grandmotherly frocks I had to try on before I dissolved into a mass of tears.

If I had to do it all again, I’d probably just hit up Bluefly because I no longer have much of a stomach for shopping when there is a deadline involved.

If you ever find yourself floundering in the same boat, have a gander at any one of the above dresses. Of course, I imagine you’ll be more than a little surprised to find that the bride’s only directive is that you find something in ‘mustard,’ but, hey, you never know! And, really, yellow can mean a lot of things… just like my ‘purple’ ended up being a rather reddish plum.

Today’s ‘from the archives’ info comes from a variety of sources.

As I learned from their web site, Belle Pearl (formerly known as “Princess Pearls”) is a mom-based company owned by Angela Apon, mother of five children, wife, and part time Registered Dental Hygienist. I like the idea of a company with a mom at the helm — I’m guessing Angela is no stranger to chaos and is ready to do whatever it takes to make you, the customer, happy.

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Remember, way back in the day, when I was clearing out my inbox? Well it’s that time again, which means that I’m going to be featuring questions you’ve asked, products you’ve recommended, and funny stuff you’ve been thoughtful enough to share with me. Today, I’m going with an inquiry that came from Eliza, who is no doubt happily married by now. Her circumstance remain timeless, however.

My fiance is Dutch, and in Holland most people wear their wedding rings on their right hand, unless they are catholic, in which case they wear them on their left. We are both relatively non-religious, but are protestant if we have to choose. Never-the-less, at the moment we live in the US (we could move to Holland sometime in the future, but no plans now). He gave me a beautiful antique platinum diamond ring, which I wear on my left ring finger. He has a yellow-gold family crest ring (an heirloom) he always wears on his left ring finger (and which doesn’t fit on his right).

Question #1) Should I let him get away with wearing a wedding ring on the right hand while we’re living in the US? Honestly, he’s a good looking guy who appreciates the attention he gets from women, and I want them all to know he’s taken! But is it too much to ask to have him resize his family ring to fit the right?

Question #2) He said there also might be some yellow gold wedding bands in his family from his grandparents. I like family jewelry, but my engagement ring is platinum. Then I was just thinking, if I wanted to go the multi-cultural route and let him wear his wedding ring on his right hand, what if we both wear his family wedding bands on our right hands? Definitely not-traditional, but we’re dealing with two different cultural norms.

Interesting question you’ve posed here. And one I’ve pondered before, as my grandparents are both Germans living in the US who wear their wedding bands on the right hand.

Now, for me, when I see something that looks like a wedding band, I just assume it is one, but that may be my own multi-cultural background talking. Still, I don’t think it’s unreasonable of you to ask your fiancé to wear his ring American-style when in the States. After all, you’re going to be married, and I imagine you’d like people to know you’re married!

As for your second question, I think you’ve hit upon a truly fabulous idea! I’ve never been one for the doubling up of rings anyway, and you’ve hit upon a perfect solution that lets you permanently rock both your wedding band and your engagement band. It’s also a good compromise–it allows him to keep wearing his family ring on the fitting finger. You may have to explain to unworldly folks who question your choice that you wear your rings European-style, but what is cooler than having a Dutch husband? Very little, IMO!

Oh, and don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t mix gold and platinum and silver and whatever else you fancy. It can look really stunning when done right.

Here is a little near mid-week prettiness, compliments of the fabulous Audrey Busta-Peck, who is as sweet as she is artistically gifted:

If your day is unfolding anywhere near as oddly as mine is, why not take a break and check out some of Miz Busta-Peck’s wedding photography? I find that looking at something beautiful every now and again during a stressful workday really takes the edge off!

Ask me about the letterpress effect, and I’ll likely tell you it has something to do with an invisible force that makes people who receive beautifully rendered invitations much more willing to attend an event. But that’s mainly because I occasionally like to make stuff up.

The Artisan Press in Sydney, Australia would answer differently. According to their web site,

Letterpress literally adds another dimension to your wedding stationery. In the hands of a skilled operator, the amount of impression into the paper can be finely controlled. This is often used to create stunning layer effects. Like fine sculpture, “the letterpress effect” is best handled by an artisan who has the knowledge and experience to operate this vintage machinery.

I’m certainly digging the letterpress effect as it appears on the sample invitation above. Would that I could have afforded such a nicety at my own nuptials, as The Artisan Press mainly confers with clients online and happens to ship to the United States. Of course, maybe I can think of some use for letterpress invitations in the future, considering that Artisan is more than happy to do small run-offs of as little as 35 pieces!

In response to the Bitch Girls’ response to my last post, I have to say that I wasn’t always a veg-head. In fact, I was once a pretty sure shot with a .22 in both a range setting and outdoor conditions. My dad is an avid hunter and my oldest younger brother’s nickname is, in fact, Bubba. So it’s certainly not a fear of guns or hunting or guys named Bubba that makes me break into giggles around that much camo. I’m just a firm believer that there can be too much of a good thing, by which I mean any “thing,” at a wedding.

Would this Louis Vuitton cake look better as part of a relatively ‘clean’ reception in terms of color or part of a LV extravaganza like this one?

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