Archive for September, 2010

LOVE/HATE: The ‘A Little Mixed Up’ Edition

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Let’s say you’re just not feeling the whole let-the-bridesmaids-wear-anything-they-want thing but you think having a wall of solid color bridesmaids dresses makes for a boring look. Plus you’re too scared to try bridesmaids’ skirts because so much could go wrong, and you don’t really care for the coordinated by mismatched bridesmaids thing, either.

Here’s my suggestion: mismatched bridesmaids’ accessories on otherwise matching bridesmaids. You can have them, as above in a beautiful pic by Jolynne Photography, all in black or any other color you like with a rainbow palette of necklaces and earrings. Or you can keep everything the same from the knees upward, and have your otherwise matching bridesmaids all don pretty shoes in that same rainbow palette.

mismatched bridesmaids shoes

It works so well with black bridesmaids dresses, but you don’t have to limit yourself to that love-it-or-hate-it hue. I adore the idea of mixing things up just a little bit in the bridal party – it’s like the perfect middle ground for those who aren’t so keen on seeing a line of completely identical bridesmaids, but also don’t care for the whole mismatched bridesmaids trend.

What do you think? Did you or will you have all your ‘maids wearing the sames shoes and accessories or are you mixing it up?

Wedding Tulle Love: Watters and Wtoo

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Now and then when I am thinking about what kind of wedding dress I’d wear if The Beard and I got married all over again, my mind conjures up an image of a gauzy, flouncy kind of gown. While I’m not big into either of these Watters wedding dresses – I’m hardly a fan of the trumpet silhouette, as you know – they did catch my eye because they looked so light and airy and pretty.

This strapless tulle wedding dress from the Watters Bride collection features a crumb catcher neckline, skirt with undulating tiers, and sort of flower thing at the waist.

And from Watters’ Wtoo collection, a pleated tulle strapless trumpet gown with tiered skirt. Just so you know, Watters gowns start at $1500; the wedding dresses in the Wtoo line are around $1000. So in this case, tulle don’t come cheap!

What do you think of these wedding dresses? I like the first one best, but I could see some people absolutely hating it because it’s rather messy.

The Write Stuff

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Calligraphy… sometimes it’s frou-frou. Sometimes it’s less girly than you’d think. Sometimes it’s hard to read. And it’s always one of those wedding expenses that is absolutely not a necessity but some brides and grooms just plain like. And that’s cool. As far as calligraphy goes, I can take it or leave it, but I’m nonetheless loving Primele. Created by Patricia Mumau, Primele has so much more than invitation envelope calligraphy to keep penmanship enthusiasts amused and occupied! Think favor tags and amazing return address stamps, place cards and thank you notes. It’s all gorgeous stuff – and that’s coming from someone who usually thinks invitation calligraphy is kind of meh.

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Why Have a Morning Wedding Ceremony and Reception?

Monday, September 27th, 2010

I like to run wedding ideas by The Beard by prefacing them with “If I was planning our wedding all over again, I would…” and the last wedding planning idea I hit him with was having a morning wedding. Gack, I hear some people thinking, a morning wedding? Why?! And I will admit, later on in this very post even, that there are definitely some downsides to having a morning wedding. But there are upsides, too, and for the right couple with the right families and social circle, a morning wedding can be the ultimate antidote to the whole overwhelming wedding cluster-you-know-what.

Built-in ambiance
I wouldn’t advise anyone not eloping to say their vows at sunrise exactly, but morning light can make for some amazing photographs. Outdoor morning weddings are awesome, particularly if you’re getting married somewhere that gets hot as heck midway through the day. Sparkling morning dew! A refreshing breeze! Birds chirping their cheerful little heads off! What more could you want at an outdoor wedding? And for the indoors set, that great morning light still makes for fantastic photos.

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Say Yes Goes Big

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

Fans of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and/or its spinoff Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta, are about to get another dose of weekly bridal gown shopping reality in the form of another spinoff: Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss.

Yes, we’ll get the Kleinfeld’s drama as more bountifully built women experience it. Starting Oct. 1, you can tune in to TLC and see for yourself whether this turns out to be a sensitive portrait of gown shopping while large or whether it turns into another way of shaming and pathologizing women who wear sizes that carry double-digit tags.

Whichever the case, you can guarantee I’ll be checking out the drama and sharing my thoughts with all of you.

Twistie’s Sunday Caption Madness: The Just Hold Still Edition

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

Hey there, caption fans! It’s time once again to play Twistie’s Sunday Caption Madness.

You all know how this works. I post a picture that’s sobbing into its Corn Flakes for a good caption. You all provide said captions via the comments function. Next week I declare a winner an we all tootle horns and strew confetti… of a virtual nature, of course. Less clean up that way, you know.

This week’s image comes to you from the alternative clothing options file and looks a little like this:
Ready… set… snark!

To Hire a Planner, or Not to Hire a Planner

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

If you watch as many bridal reality shows as I do (all in the line of duty), you could quickly come to the conclusion that hiring a wedding planner is as inevitable a part of wedding planning as choosing a bouquet. The vast majority of shows are either about how couples who have hired planners delight in the results or how celebrity planners can swoop in and save an inept bride from her own pathetic tastes and lackluster abilities.

The truth is, though, that planners are hired in only a small fraction (I’ve heard as low as ten percent) of all American weddings. Some of these planners are hired only as day-of coordinators, too. It’s not inevitable. It’s simply one option available to a modern couple.

So how do you decide if a wedding planner is for you? Read on and find out.
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