Hey there caption fans! It’s time once again to play Twistie’s Sunday Caption Madness. You all know how this works. I pick a photo that I firmly believe is crying out for a caption, you provide said captions via the comments box, and next week I declare a winner whereupon we all celebrate with virtual wedding cake and cookies.

This week’s pic comes to you from the ‘Scarlet, she looks like a meringue’ file and it looks a bit like this:
Ready…set…snark!

For all the talk about how the wedding is the bride’s day to the exclusion of everyone else, the fact remains that a lot of different people have a big stake in the event. There are parents, siblings, friends, religious communities, vendors, and the list goes on. Most of all, there’s the person you’re marrying. He – or she – is kind of important.

Obviously, there are ways to minimize the amount of concern you absolutely have to pay to many of these people in planning your wedding. Don’t accept money from anyone you don’t want to have a say in how you spend it. Keep plans close to your chest when talking with disapproving sorts. Remind others that you’ve been supportive of their plans and expect them to show you the same courtesy.

In the longrun, though, you’re going to have to compromise with someone about something in the course of your plans, including your intended. How do you do it effectively? Read on for some tips.
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Who’s best placed to talk about wedding color trends for 2010? The wedding vendors who are already knee deep in outfitting the upcoming weddings of 2010, of course! Curious, I had a gander at My Personal Artist‘s trend watch for the spring and summer of this year, and found both aqua blue and lime green on the list. My first thought was let’s put them together! Here’s the result:

Paired with brown detailing and tiny rhinestones, aqua and lime wedding invitations can be beachy but don’t have to be. This is a fun palette that maintains its elegance when you, say, leave the sea stars on the sand where they belong. (via)

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Embroidered and bedazzled bridal sneakers… with heels. Bridal Chucks. And then there’s wellies, Uggs, and cowboy boots. I don’t think anyone can deny that footwear for the bride is a divisive issue when you move away from satin slippers and ivory pumps. All you have to do is look at comments like “Bridal shoes with personality are one thing. Completely tacky bedazzled canvas bridal shoes are another. Yuck!”

Photographer Mark Wallace snapped this pic of bride and groom sneakers from Adidas somewhere in New York — no surprise there — and I’m wondering what the readership thinks.

My take: At least they’re not covered in hot glued lace and glitter, like some bridal sneakers I’ve seen. What should we call their companions, groomal sneakers? You could wear them for a long time, since Adidas sneakers tend to last. And if you’re the kind of gal or guy who has spent practically your whole life in a pair of three stripes, then why not? I don’t love ‘em, but I sure as hell don’t hate them as much as I hate most bridal sneakers.

What say you?

We’ve all seen the trash the dress photoshoots where the bride is rolling around in a marsh somewhere, thoroughly muddying her wedding gown and looking like a waterlogged fairy with naughty deeds on her mind. There’s one set where a stuntwoman bride lit her gown on fire while wearing it, post-wedding of course. Then there are the trash the dress sessions where the now married bride tromps through dust and grime, perhaps even letting a few brambles tear at the hem of her gown. I’m glad those brides were able to afford a second session with a photographer and, one hopes, got the photos they wanted.

But trashing the dress isn’t for everyone, and especially not those brides who feel a strong sentimental attachment to their wedding dresses. That said, these same brides might also feel the inclination to take their gowns out into nature without ripping it apart or staining it beyond recognition or wetting it through or burning it to a crisp. Can they trash the dress without actually, well, trashing the dress? After doing a quick survey of trash the dress photos, I think the answer is yes. Many of not most of the photos that purport to trash the dress really don’t do much in the way of wear and tear. Here are three ways brides who want to take interesting post-wedding photos and come away with an intact wedding dress.

Take a chair into nature. Just because you’re out in the fields doesn’t mean you have to subject your wedding dress to the ravages of mud and animal droppings. A stool is just as out of place in a forest as a wedding dress is, so you’re not taking anything away from the photo other than astronomical drycleaning bills after the fact.

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There’s no way around it other than keeping things unofficial… every state in the U.S. requires that couples obtain a marriage license before their wedding vows will mean anything in the government’s eyes. Frankly, applying for a marriage license is one of the more boring items on the wedding planning to-do list, but since it’s such a vital one I feel we must address it here for the sake of completeness. While I wish it were as engaging as sampling wedding cakes or shopping for a wedding dress, it just isn’t. On the the other hand, a quick trip to the county clerk’s office shouldn’t be stressful or too much of a pain in the butt if you go prepared.

Obviously every state will have its individual rules where applying for a marriage license is concerned, so I’m not going to try to cover every states’ particulars here. For that, you should call the clerk’s office since I’d say about 99% of the sources I’ve found for state-by-state marriage license info have been out of date or just plain incorrect. What follows here is a rough guideline for those who are just starting to think about applying for a marriage license.

Who, What, Where?
You and your spouse-to-be will proceed to the county clerk or clerk of the court office together, hopefully with all of the proper documentation. At the very least, you’ll need some form of ID, usually a driver’s license, birth certificate, military ID, or passport, though states’ requirements can vary. Non-citizens may have to present more than one form of ID. There’s going to be an application fee, and some county clerks still only accept cash and money orders or personal checks. Oh, and you’ll want to know three things: your social security number (which all adults really should have memorized), your wedding date, and where you’re planning to marry.

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Need it even be said? Brides with buns in the oven want beautiful wedding dresses, too. Maternity wedding dresses, however, aren’t always as lovely as they ought to be. Maybe it’s because there isn’t a giant market for frocks that fit around fetuses so there isn’t as much competition among designers and dressmakers. Perhaps there’s even a contingent of people who think pregnant bride shouldn’t flaunt her “delicate condition,” and thus think that maternity wedding dresses should look like muumuus.

To that I say “Whatever, fool.” Maternity wedding dresses should be as lovely and as flattering as standard wedding dresses, which is why I’m loving Maternity Bride by Jessica Iverson Couture. The fit, construction, and quality of the gowns is just as good as those in the regular bridal market. The prices are easy on the wallet, at least as far as wedding dresses go. And amazingly, these maternity wedding dresses are available for rental… the hope being that you won’t need to wear yours twice.

They say: Light chiffon maternity wedding dress with draping, features pearl edged neckline and sleeves. Sweep train. Perfect for brides seeking a little bit of coverage and a hint of modesty.

They say: Pure silk charmeuse scoopneck maternity wedding gown with intricate and luxurious beading across waistline, front and back. Slightly gathered waist, bubble hem.

They say: A sexy, strapless maternity wedding gown with an intricately beaded bust and layered skirt with crisp pleating. Features a sweep train and detachable beaded straps.

They say: Taffeta maternity bridal gown with shirred waistline and v-neck. Corset back. A sophisticated and classically styled maternity wedding gown that looks flattering on every shape and size.

The best part is that these maternity wedding dresses aren’t just for itty-bitty mommas-to-be! Maternity Bride’s standard collection goes up to size XXXL and they can custom create gowns in even larger sizes, so plus size brides with buns in the oven aren’t left wanting.