I am absolutely enamored with the idea of using puzzle pieces as reception table place cards! Like these, which feature images of the bride and groom. A table’s worth of puzzle pieces are assembled by guests and *voila* a keepsake that can go home with some lucky guest.

Brides and grooms who have a bit of artistic talent (or can use paste without freaking out) can even DIY this one with a package of blank puzzles!

Images by Kurstin Roe Photography

1. Sometimes a bride-to-be will look at white wedding dresses until her eyes are threatening to go on strike without finding anything she loves because her complexion simply does not look right paired with white. And I mean *any* white. Her next stop could be the lonely corner rack with all the sad rum pink gowns and champagne castoffs, but why? There are plenty of gorgeous colored wedding dresses to choose from nowadays – and if none of them suit, there are always custom gowns.

2. Wearing a colored wedding dress can be a nod to your cultural heritage. Various shades of white may be the go to wedding gown colors in much of the Western World, but in other parts of the world, different hues are considered ‘right’ for wedding garments. For example, in China, India, and Vietnam, red is the traditional choice for brides. In the Klamath, Modoc, and Yurok tribes of Northern California, brides wore gowns woven in white, blue, yellow, and black. And once upon a time, black was the top choice for Scandinavian brides!

3. Those who don’t feel like spending big bucks on wedding garb can instead save big bucks by choosing a colored wedding dress. Gowns specifically created for weddings are priced at a premium, whereas frocks meant for parties and proms (or even everyday outfits for gown-lovers) frequently have price tags featuring numbers that won’t make your wallet cry. Worried that you won’t find a style you like because you love that traditional wedding gown look? There are plenty of colored gowns featuring the same silhouettes and styles as traditional wedding dresses.

4. While I don’t have any reason to wear a gown these days, maybe you do. I’m sure you’re thinking: Re-wearing a wedding dress sounds even sillier than re-wearing a bridesmaids’ dress. But why not? If you don’t have the same dress dying skills as the lovely Toni, you can up your chances of having the opportunity to wear your big day frock again if you choose a colored wedding dress over a white one. You can get even more mileage out of your colored wedding dress by choosing one that can be altered into a cocktail-length dress after you say your vows. Or starts as a cocktail length wedding dress!

5. Including colored wedding dresses in your list of possibilities widens your range of gown choices – particularly if you’re also open to a variety of silhouettes. Sure, you can find colored wedding dresses that are identical to white wedding dresses, but you also have your choice of elegant ballgowns and sleek, simple evening dresses. And the more choices you have, the more likely it is that you’re going to find a wedding gown that is close to or even exactly like the dress you’ve been picturing in your head.

Hey ho, Camperinos!

Last week I offended your sensibilities with this… Very Special Image:
… and invited you all to take your best pot shots at it. Three of you took up the challenge in a big – and highly imaginative – way.

In the end, though, there can be but one winner. This week the laurel goes to Jo for this ode to Scary People Tricks:

Steve could cope with the excessive salivation party tricks but the lactation took him by surprise.

Congratulations, Jo! And thanks to everyone who played.

Money is supposedly the thing couples are most likely to fight over, whether they’re married or shacking up. In my opinion, not enough people talk about money before saying ‘I do’, which may be part of why it’s such a hot button issue.

How else is a bride-to-be going to find out her future spouse is carrying thousands of dollars in consumer debt and wants to merge bank accounts or conversely, has perfect credit but doesn’t believe in joint checking? It’s not just about debt load – it’s about overall attitudes toward money and marriage. Topics that engaged couples often fail to cover include: Will you maintain separate savings accounts? Or pool your debts? How will be bills be paid? And so on.

Okay, I know it’s not a conversation anyone really wants to sit down and have, but in an effort to get you started, I found 5 myths about money and marriage written up by Adrian Nazari of Credit Sesame:

1. When I marry, if my spouse has a lower credit score, it will negatively impact my score.
Your credit reports, as well as your credit scores, are tied to your Social Security number, and since these don’t merge when you get married, neither do your reports or scores.

2. I will lose my credit history when I change my name to my new married name.
If your credit is bad, this may seem appealing, but it doesn’t happen. Your credit history is linked to your Social Security number and remains the same.

3. Interest rates for homes and cars purchased together will be lower because we have more income being married.
Interest rates are based only in part on your income. Other factors include debt to income ratio and credit score, and if your combined debt also goes up or one of you has a low score, it could mean higher interest rates.

4. Joining our finances means I will take on the debt burden my spouse accumulated before we were wed.
While you are not legally responsible for the credit card balances created before you tied the knot, taking the approach of “it’s your debt, you deal with it” may not be a wise decision.

5. After the wedding, I will automatically become a joint user on my spouse’s accounts.
Marriage doesn’t automatically make you an authorized user on a credit card; it still takes a phone call. But be careful with this–if you have the better credit score, you can help improve your spouse’s score by making him or her a joint account holder on your accounts.

Maybe this is all old hat to you, but considering I thought that I would own all of The Beard’s pre-marriage debt equally, I’m guessing at least a few of you out there are not as well-versed as you could be when it comes to money and marriage. ENGAGED PEOPLE: TALK ABOUT MONEY BEFORE YOU TIE THE KNOT! KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU’RE HEADED, MONEY-WISE! It can’t hurt, and it will almost always prevent disagreements later on.

When did bridesmaids’ garters become a thing? This is one of those weird wedding accessories that I came across unexpectedly in a shop and had to do a double take. Before you start wondering if you have yet another thing you need to buy before the wedding, know that it’s definitely not a widespread thing. There are a few forum posts here and there about it and a handful of wedding photos that include bridesmaids’ garters on the legs of the ladies. But still, I can find some sources pushing bridesmaids’ garters as something we should all know about.

Have you heard about this? As an ‘emergent tradition,’ is your first impression one of love or one of hate? My take is that if you have the money and the time and the inclination to take upskirt shots of yourself in your bridesmaids when you post for photos, then go for it and grab some bridesmaids’ garters (maybe even flask garters). But it does seem kind of silly to give yourself yet another wedding planning to-do when there’s a good chance that very few people will see the result of your efforts.

(Just had to add, how amazing and fun does this pre-wedding outing look? Wish I’d been a part of it!)

For those who missed it, February was all about wedding dress line launches. Launches, I should add, that made me go hmmm. On February 11, Vera Wang is debuted her White Collection for bridal retail giant David’s Bridal. White wedding dresses are priced from $600 to $1400 and go up to size 14 – that’s wedding dress sizing 14, not regular 14. Come June, the White Collection will be augmented with a line of bridesmaids’ dresses. Here’s a taste of this small collection:

They definitely have that Vera Wang appeal, all fluttery and feminine, but I feel like overall, the designs are kind of meh. I like the skirts better than the tops, definitely. Especially that one in blush! Yum.

The second launch, a Valentine’s Day special, was BHLDN, Urban Outfitter’s newly-minted wedding brand that falls under the Anthropologie umbrella. Right now, it’s an online-only boutique with convenient sizing that actually lines up with real world sizing (though still only up to 14), but there will be brick and mortar locations are set to open come summertime.

And the Zinnia Gown, designed by Beth Bowley:

If you were curious, BHLDN is pronounced ‘beholden’ – omg how edgy! – though my brain continues to want to parse it as Belden, the name of a line of not-so-great jewelers here in the northeast and, randomly, Kansas. My one complaint is that Urban Outfitter’s wedding dresses are way too expensive for their demographic, but I’m loving the associated ‘event dresses’, vintage-look accessories, lingerie, and jewelery, and I’m looking forward to the tableware, cake-toppers, and invitations launching in May.

What do you think about Vera Wang’s White Collection and bridal newcomer BHLDN?

I saw this sweet little reception table centerpiece on bride.ca and just had to share. Because it’s just too simple not to.

You say you’re not planning a New York City subway themed wedding? No problem, just replace the subway card with anything. How about glittery table numbers or some other pretty thing?

All it takes are some nice flower pots – you could even use plain terracotta pots, homegrown wheatgrass, LED tea lights, and the table number of your choice.

Are you DIYing your reception centerpieces? If so, remember to scale your design to the size of your table so it doesn’t look dinky (or absolutely huuuuge)!