Some people have a more difficult time finding a wedding gown than others. Take, for example, the sea witch Ursula from the Little Mermaid. She’s an apple aaaaand has six tentacles where her legs ought to be. She would probably look best in a wedding gown that accentuates her most striking features instead of hiding them.

But where to find such a gown? Why, in one of the older collections from Kuwaiti designer Haya Al Houti, of course! Embracing your inner (or outer) octopus on your wedding day has never been easier.

When it comes to bouquets, brides and bridesmaids have plenty of options. There are the traditional fresh flower bouquets, in styles like hand-tied, the Biedermeier, ballerina bouquets, and the dramatic but rare scepter. Then there are wilder styles of fresh flowers. Faux blooms remain popular in bouquets (and centerpieces), though some brides opt to forget the flowers altogether and carry wire bouquets, porcelain bouquets, leaf bouquets, and plenty more.

With all the variety, there has to be room for deflated balloon bouquets, right? Bouquets from Fantasy Flowers are crafted from “uninflated balloons, are biodegradable, and can last from 4 months to 4 years. Making these designs a desirable ‘green’ addition to any event.” Huh. They’re not bad looking, exactly, but in the few photos posted on the company’s web site, Fantasy Flowers look more like something you’d send a sick friend to cheer him or her up. They don’t look like the kind of bouquet you’d carry down the aisle on your wedding day. My verdict is HATE.

What say you?

I was reading about the 20 weirdest Craigslist postings when I came across this unusual want ad:

So, my fiancee and I are getting married in June. He has 8 groomsmen lined up and I only have one bridesmaid. So, I need some girls who are attractive and around my age to stand up in my wedding. You can be single or taken. It doesn’t matter….you just have to be hot. But, not hotter then me. Email me for more information. The wedding will be in Madison and you won’t have to pay for a thing.

Gee, I wonder if the whole “you just have to be hot. But, not hotter then me” thing has anything to do with this bride not having enough friends to fill out her bridal party? That aside, it’s easy to see why a bride would automatically feel the need to find extra girlfriends or guyfriends to ensure wedding attendant symmetry. At almost every wedding I’ve attended (and I’ve been to quite a few) there were an equal number of guys and gals on either side of the officiant.

But just because that’s the usual way of doing things doesn’t mean it’s the only way of doing things. Sometimes the groom has groomsmaids and the bride has bridesmen, or both sides are entirely mixed. Sometimes brides and grooms have no attendants standing with them at all. And occasionally, a wedding party is made up of lots and lots of bridesmaids (or groomsmen) and just a few groomsmen (or bridesmaids).

When you’re facing bridesmaid/groomsman inequity, the processional and recessional are the trickiest things to coordinate… and it’s not even that tricky! You can have all the men wait at the altar with the groom and let all the ladies walk the aisle solo. Everyone can walk solo, if you prefer. When there are two men to every woman (or vice versa), you can double up as long as your aisle is wide enough for three. You can also have some groups of three, some doubles, and some people walking solo, as necessary. Or, heck, you might just have everyone run out crazy-style all at once. Anything goes, provided your ceremony location or house of worship is okay with your decision.

But if you share the OP’s conundrum and are mainly worried about how your wedding photos will look, my advice is chill. There’s no law stating that you have to line everyone up on either side of the bride and groom in your pictures. Group up like the huge wedding party in the above wedding pic and the difference in numbers between the bride’s attendants and the groom’s attendants will be a lot less obvious.

Image via

I have a thing about Ghost Chairs, which I’ve written about more than once on Manolo for the Home, but I never considered how they might be used at a wedding reception. Though personally I like the colored Louis Ghost Chairs best, the clear originals look awesome as reception table seating.

I can’t decide whether they pop or fade perfectly into the background. On one hand, they’re definitely different, and I can guarantee that they’ll get your wedding guests talking. On the other hand, they allow for a perfect view of tables and table skirts.

Likewise, they are an impressive sight all lined up at longer tables. I think this has something to do with the unexpectedness of their, well, clarity. It struck me as I was looking at these images from wedding receptions that you’re going to see all your guests backs and butts. Could be interesting!

If renting Ghost Chairs designed by Philippe Starck doesn’t quite fit into your wedding budget, try to find an event rental company that carries the Mirage Chair by Legacy. Eco-friendly and 100% recyclable, they’re made of unbreakable polycarbonate that can carry 400+ pounds of person.

Images courtesy of Exhibit Hire, Legacy Seating, Taylor Creative, Inc., and David McConkey Wedding Planning.

Last year the hot day to get married was 8/8/08 (a Friday). The year before that it was 7/7/07 (a Saturday). Next year I’m guessing we’re going to see people who can deal with Sunday weddings choosing to tie the knot on 10/10/10. Unfortunately 9/9/09 fell on a Wednesday, but that didn’t stop the the 99-Cent Only chain from cashing in on the number-number-number wedding date trend. Of course, when I say cash in, I mean they made a grand total of $8.91 by charging nine couples 99 cents each to get married in one of its Hollywood stores.

Everything from the decorations to the photo backdrops was sourced from the store itself, but the 99Cent Only chain apparently did a fairly good job of sprucing things up. Kathy Jacobs, the Discount Store Diva known for her frugal finds and creations, designed a Chanel-inspired wedding gown and created the décor for the wedding ceremony and reception using only items found at 99-Cent Only stores.

As one bride put it “We are very impressed. We are very happy. Everything’s beautiful here and it totally doesn’t feel like you’re in a 99 Cent store, until you have the backdrop of chicken noodle soup behind you when your pictures taken.”

The chain spent a bit more than $8.91 on the couples, however. All the brides and grooms received a wedding package worth over $2,599, which included accommodations at Hotel Angeleno, meals at well-known restaurants, wedding photos taken by the highly regarded Los Angeles wedding photographer Jay Lawrence Goldman, free hair and makeup by Design Visage, fresh flowers, limo service, $99.99 in cash, and a cool gift bag from 99-Cent Only.

I think if The Beard and I had spent 99 cents on our wedding, I would have taped the leftover penny into our wedding album because it’d be a great conversation starter.

My mother always said orange was her favorite neutral. If there’s one thing I learned at her knee, it was that her eye for color was impeccable. These days, orange is my favorite neutral, too.

Oh I know it’s a bright, aggressive color. I know a little can go a long way. I also know it goes with and brings out the best in a wide variety of colors. I also know it’s a wonderful color for a happy celebration like a wedding.

Not convinced? Take a look under the cut at the cheery gallery of orange wedding details I’ve put together. Please note that there is not a single one that looks like Halloween.

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It’s the centerpiece of your reception. It’s one of the things the majority of guests will have a strong opinion about. It’s your wedding cake. Please take care when choosing not only the look, but the contents and the way you choose to interact with it.

I could talk all day about how to handle these decisions, but I find – as have the poets down the ages – that a picture paints a thousand words…not that that will stop me commenting on them. Here are some examples of what to avoid. They are placed behind the cut for the faint of heart and at least one is most definitely not work safe.

Twistie and Manolo for the Brides take no responsibility for any: seizures, coffee-stained monitors, or nightmares resulting from these images. You have been warned.

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