Bridal showers… some people have them, some people don’t. The best thing I can say about my bridal shower is that people I love were there, quite a few of whom I hadn’t seen on a long, long while. The thing about bridal showers is that the bride is supposed to have nothing to do with the planning of it. She’s busy planning a wedding, first of all. And what with showers being a gift-focused event, etiquette says that the guest-of-honor isn’t to be involved in the details.

That means that brides-to-be get what they get when it comes to bridal showers if everyone follows the rules, so there are those who end up with quite restaurant lunches and those who end up with something a little more… like a wedding?

A practice wedding, perhaps? There’s a part of my brain that, when it sees pictures of luxurious and otherwise fabulously-appointed bridal showers or bachelorette parties shouts “Excess, excess, excess!” but it’s a small part, really. And probably a jealous part *wink* since if the hostess of said shower has the fundage to throw a huge do just for the fem folks, then more power to them.

There’s certainly no rule stating that a bridal shower can’t have a giant cake and and favors galore and amazing tablescapes, or even live music and things like that. A shower is, after all, just another kind of party. But there’s still that part of my mind that wonders if all the bridesmaids involved in the planning could really afford to chip in, and if guests possibly might have obligated to spring for a more expensive gift if they heard just how fancy a shower it would be.

I suppose I have to label myself conflicted when it comes to a certain sort of very upscale bridal shower – and, again, it’s probably got a lot to do with that nasty green-eyed monster, since I do love a fab party! What say you?

P.S. – Check out the giveaway I’m running at Manolo for the Home! It’s for a super cute Dabney Lee desk calendar that will really brighten your day!

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Among the many questions thrust upon brides-to-be by well-meaning and curious people is “Is your dad walking you down the aisle?” It used to be a given in the majority of U.S. Christian or Christian-flavored weddings, but nowadays there are definitely more options. A bride might walk with her dad or, like me, be escorted by both of her parents. She might walk with her spouse-to-be – and I rather think it’s nice to see a couple gliding up to until death do they part together.

Some brides walk in alone, and I know at least one who walked in a group with her bridesmaids. Others walk halfway to the altar with dad and the rest of the way with their spouses-to-be (or alone). And still others walk with uncles or aunts or friends or a pet. When it comes to breaking with tradition, anything goes, especially in this area.

The only problem? A lot of dads still assume that they’re going to do the walking. Mine definitely did, and was hurt when I told him that I wanted to be escorted in – not, I should add, be ‘given away’ – by both him and my mom. It just seemed so wrong to not include my mom, who did the bulk of work when it came to raising me.

Frankly, a corsage and a seat up front wasn’t going to cut it. So my dad was hurt, but he got over it or at least never brought it up again. Not all dads feel dissed, though, which is a good thing, seeing as that times they are a’changin’. Take Virginia Sole-Smith’s experience:

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If you’d asked me a week ago why it’s important to vet your wedding DJ, I don’t think that “So he doesn’t boobie slap someone at the reception” wouldn’t have been on my list of answers. Now it will be, forevermore, even if the chances that your wedding DJ will play the boobongos there on the platform are pretty slim overall. Apparently, the following video – a clip from a Daytona Beach wedding from May of this year – has made the rounds in a big way, but in case you haven’t seen it, no, it’s not some viral marketing ploy. It’s the real deal.

The boobongo virtuoso you see before you is Fast Eddie, owner or perhaps manager of a Florida upholstery shop by day and wedding DJ by night. After watching the video, I had to know more – who is this guy? Luckily, the good folks at urlesque scooped the story. Can you believe that poor Fast Eddie didn’t get paid? I kid, I kid! But I also know some people who would be angry as h-e-doublehockeysticks on the inside when they saw this but would nonetheless pay their less-than-stellar boobie slappin’ wedding vendor the balance owed.

If you’re cringing right now, I feel your pain… videos of wedding vendors like this made me hyperventilate when I was planning my wedding. But never fear! We here at Manolo for the Brides have got you covered with tips for planning a wedding safely, knowing what to expect when hiring wedding vendors, and dealing with tricksy wedding vendors. Heed our advice and you’ll more often than not be in the clear!

That said, here’s a palate cleanser in the form of a grainy video of an iguana eating some poor couple’s wedding cake:

I’m absolutely to delighted to announce that the winner of the Nordstrom Bow Flap Silk Clutch is the lovely Sharon of Sharon & Greg’s wedding bonanza (seriously, aren’t they an adorable couple?). Big congrats, Sharon! Myself and someone from Designer Apparel will be in touch tout de suite!

When faced with amazing wedding DIY, the bride-to-be who’s contemplating trying her own hand at wedding crafts can do one of two things. She can get totally intimidated, think to herself ‘I could never do that so why bother?’ and call in the pro most likely to do as their told. Or, she can look at those gorgeous invites or bouquets or whatever and say “Someone else managed it, so why can’t I?” I do hope all you gorgeous gals will walk away from today’s post giving yourselves the pep talk instead of an unpeptalk. Sure, for many wedding crafts there’s a learning curve, but all that means is that you need to give yourself plenty of time to practice!

My plan is to stay married to The Beard, but if I find myself sucked into some wacky time vortex that lands me back in time I hope I remember what I’m about to show you. Because just look at it:

Isn’t that just absolutely fabulous? The colors might not be your bag, but as non-floral boutonnieres for the groom and the grooms go, I think this might very well be my number one favorite. It was crafted by one Cindy Dyer, a fantastic graphic designer and photographer who also happens to be totally sweet, and I found it when her ‘how I did it’ post showed up my search results one day. I was floored (though the fact that the pic is kind of in-your-face pretty didn’t hurt!).

Cindy didn’t stick to DIY boutonnieres, however. On her wedding blog, you can see her beautiful reception tablescapes – I love the outdoor elements! – and she tells me that snaps of her handmade wedding programs and guests’ gifts will go up soon. You should definitely check all that out, but I couldn’t resist throwing together a little collage of the nest necklaces Cindy made for her bridesmaids, her flower girl basket, and her ring bearer pillow.

Consider me inspired – not intimidated – and I hope you’re feeling the same way!

… in 1993, I woke early, had breakfast, got dressed, headed out to a beautiful redwood grove, and married the love of my life.

Over the last seventeen years we’ve coped with feast and famine – and more famine than feast. We’ve dealt with illness, injury, and death. We’ve made good decisions and bad ones, laughed and cried, agreed and disagreed.

And do you know what? I would absolutely do it all again.

Sometimes happily ever after does sort of happen.

I just thought you might like to know that.

I’ve always loved iris. The shape appeals strongly to me, the colors are right up my alley, and they can’t be beaten for pure visual drama. If you’re thinking of working them into your wedding, here are some ideas to help you out.

You can start right out with your save the dates.
These buttons from Zazzle run from $2.89 each down to $1.89 each, depending on how many you buy. Not wild about this one? There are other iris-themed save the date items available.
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