I love this photograph of a bride and groom from the sixties and the bride’s seeing eye dog.

I also loved my grandmother’s second husband who, as it happened, was legally blind. In fact, Granny met him while volunteering with a group dedicated to helping the blind.

And so I was frankly appalled when I read this article by a legally blind bride-to-be at Offbeat Bride. Not, I hasten to mention, because of anything about the lady or her plans. Her steampunk cane is a delight and her groom’s sense of humor is beyond awesome.

No, what appalled me was the ignorance and small-mindedness displayed so casually by potential vendors, not to mention others who simply couldn’t conceive of her choices based on her comfort and ability to navigate the event easily. Choices such as wearing a colored dress so she can see it, not to wear a veil so as not to impede her limited peripheral vision, or to use her cane to help her navigate the aisle successfully.

Apparently these things are ‘not bridal.’

To that, all I can say is a hearty cry of “horse hockey!”

A bride is a bride, is a bride. A groom is a groom, is a groom. And if the ring bearer needs a cane or a wheelchair, then that’s what he needs.

I remember some years ago reading on the web about a blind bridesmaid who had a disastrous time in the wedding party because of the attitude that any acknowledgement of her disability was somehow less than ‘bridal.’ She wasn’t allowed to use her cane down the aisle, and after she had practiced many times with a certain configuration at the altar, a major item was moved directly into her path at the last minute and nobody warned her. Of course she crashed into it and people got mad at her for ‘ruining’ the wedding. After all, a sighted bridesmaid would have known to move out of the way!

If you or someone in your wedding party has a disability, the key to making things work is not to ignore that disability or try to make it go away for a few hours. The key is to looking squarely at the practical issues it raises and then dealing with them frankly and without making a huge fuss.

Blind people marry. Wheelchair users marry. Deaf people marry. Amputees marry.

And you know what? They’re beautifully bridal, too.

For more ideas on planning a wedding when someone in the wedding party has a disability, check out some of the terrific tips and planning ideas on disaboom.

Although engagement ring styles seem to remain untouched during decades, with the dawn of each new fashion season there is a plethora of new, fascinating, exciting and sometimes extravagant and very offbeat freshtrends. It goes without saying that some of them will fade away quickly, while the others will become popular for years. Selecting an engagement ring is an entire ordeal for many men, since the modern market is abound with various engagement ring styles and designs. At first sight, the selection of engagement rings offered both online and at conventional ‘brick-and-mortar’ jewelry stores may be very overwhelming. However, if you know at least a few criteria for an engagement ring of her dreams, you can unhesitatingly start your ring hunt.

Designer Rings

Of course, it is a good idea to stick to traditions, especially the meaningful ones. However, when it comes to rings, especially engagement ones, it happens to be a matter of taste. Solitaire rings with high settings featuring impeccable Asscher or Princess cut diamonds are probably the most popular engagement rings today. Yet, on a par with conventional forms and cuts, there exist unusual, offbeat rings created especially for those women who like to make experiments and like to be different in the style choices. That is where designer rings come into play. Designer pieces not only are unique ornaments, but oftentimes true masterpieces. Today’s designer rings market can offer you the greatest selection of rings for all tastes, of ‘all shapes and sizes’. Designer rings are a perfect option for those men who are looking for an unusual and very distinctive engagement ring.

The Most Popular Designer Ring Styles

Modern jewelry style gurus offer the mixture of styles and forms in their engagement rings lines. Some of the designers embody in their pieces the most innovative ideas involving the revolutionary techniques and materials, as well as futuristic shapes and colors. Others tend to look back in time in search of inspiration: the employ Edwardian and Victorian hints and subtle details in their works. One of the most distinctive design ring styles today is probably Art Deco. Strong geometric forms, lines and symmetry are what Art Deco designers strive for in their engagement rings. Keep reading to learn more on this particular style.

Art Deco Engagement Rings

The Art Deco period (1925-1939) was a very fruitful design movement that gave the humanity some of the most intriguing designs in architecture, home interior, furniture, cars and of course, jewelry. Unlike Art Nouveau with its softness and natural motifs, Art Deco was all about glamour, chic and modernity. Art Deco design can be easily told by its distinctive geometric forms, symmetry and vivid, contrasting colors.

Although the designer movement began in Paris, in terms of jewelry, the art deco engagement ring trend was established in Monaco, with Grace Kelly, the Princess of Monaco. Soon, it was influenced from all over the world: engagement rings incorporated elements of Hindu, Oriental designs and Mayan patterns. Artists also borrowed some ideas from actual archaeological discoveries: they used blue faience, glazed ceramics, face masks and scarabs in their engagement rings designs.

Modern Art Deco engagement rings feature the following characteristics:

• They employ bold geometric forms. The center stones have bold triangular, square and round shapes. Some artists experiment with more shapes, employing new forms, such as kites, baguettes and trapezoids.

• They have symmetric forms. Symmetry is one of the Art Deco keystones. Although it is highly prized, symmetry is often lost in terms of coloration.

• They incorporate different precious and semi-precious gems, such as sapphires, diamonds, black opals, corals, emeralds, rubies, mother-of-pearls, jades, as well as quartz crystals.

Another characteristic of Art Deco engagement rings is a filigree work which is so detailed and sophisticated, that the rings look like real mini jewelry masterpieces. Usually, the craftsmanship and quality of these rings is much higher than most modern engagement rings. As rule, Art Deco designer rings are larger than standard engagement rings due to their multiple gems and filigree work. When shopping for an Art Deco engagement ring, you can either buy a reproduction ring or search for original, antique one with its incomparable atmosphere and history. Check out our assortment of designer engagement rings for the most intriguing and vintage styles for your fiancée.

Guest post written by Dennis Polishchuk from Whiteflash.com, Houston jewelry store.

Over the years we haven’t really talked a lot about transportation here on Manolo for the Brides. Mostly we’ve considered it a question to be determined between you and the deity of your choice.

And I believe that in most cases the majority of brides assume they’ll hire a limo to get them around on the big day. That’s hardly universal, of course. There are women who would consider their wedding day incomplete without arriving in a horse-drawn carriage. Others can’t imagine spending the money on just getting from point A to point B and take their own or a family member’s car. Yeah, that would be me. I wasn’t making a grand entrance. I helped set up the site in my wedding gown. Arriving in my father’s trusty Nissan was plenty good enough for me. Mr. Twistie and I left in his classic Mustang that he drove every day back then. It was a nice car, but nothing specially worked out for the day.

But there are practicalities to be considered that may make the family car a bad idea. You may have dreams of making a spectacular entrance that won’t be satisfied by a mere limousine.

And of course we’re never against fabulous around here… so long as taste, budget, and legal issues have been considered properly.
(more…)

If you’ve been reading this blog for more than two minutes, you know I’m a huge fan of DIY for weddings. Choose your projects carefully, give yourself plenty of time, and it’s possible to save big as well as add uniquely personal dash to your big event.

The lady shown above is an excellent example of How It’s Done Properly.

When Ash Pears asked lady love Lydia Taylor to marry him, she did try on some commercially made wedding gowns… but only for inspiration. She designed and made her own gown. In point of fact, she knitted it.

Watching as much bridal reality as I do, I know well that moment when the bride walks into a bridal salon and announces she has only two grand to plonk down on her wedding gown and accessories. They do their best not to react, but you can always see a flash of worry and an involuntary breath taken in on the part of the consultant. Bridal runs to big bucks.

But Taylor’s elegant knitted frock set her back less than two hundred pounds and needed no alterations, since it was made to measure.

Between knitting her gown, finding reception plates at garage sales and thrift shops, making her bouquet out of fabric flowers and a vintage brooch or two, creating her own favors by hand (pear shaped pin cushions) and doing her own decorations, Taylor and Pears kept their overall wedding budget down to around five thousand pounds… allowing them enough left over to have an eighteen night honeymoon in Bali and Singapore as well as a down payment on a house to raise a family in.

Would they change anything if they had had more money? Says Taylor:

‘If we had won the National Lottery the only change we would have made is a free bar for our friends.’

Fair enough. I have to say, I love that gown.

It’s fresh, it’s retro. It’s cool, it’s the hot color coming up on the wheel. It’s mint, and it’s going to be big for 2013 weddings. But how to use it effectively? Is it right for you? I don’t know about you, but I love this mint and lavender table setting by Archive Vintage Rentals.

Of course table settings are one thing… but far from the only thing you can do in mint. How about a mint wedding gown?

I found this pic at Stella Harper Events, and I love it. Not only is the dress fabulous, the VW microbus in the back looks exactly like the one my father drove for about twenty years until he passed it on to one of my brothers.

But not everyone is ready to wear a mint wedding gown. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a few colorful accessories to pull the color scheme together.
(more…)

Every year there seems to be another ‘can’t do without’ bridal accessory or a new necessity for all receptions. When I was getting married, there were no such things as save the date cards or speciality cocktails custom created for the bride and groom. Wedding dessert meant cake and cake only… unless you were a wild maverick like I was. I served individual fruit tarts.

One thing that’s been gaining ground the last couple years is the bridal belt. I first saw it on Say Yes to the Dress and have disliked it in general ever since.

Unlike the dessert table or the save the date, both of which make life easier and nicer for guests, or a speciality cocktail which makes the celebration a bit more unique, the bridal belt serves only to further decorate the bride and use up more of her clothing budget.

This belt/sash from With This Bling is one of the budget models at just $94.95. There are far more expensive ones out there easily found in a quick Google search.

On Say Yes to the Dress, these belts get added to designer gowns without a single question as to how much it will add to the bill. Often I think they clutter the look. Sometimes I think they just plain Don’t Go With That Gown.

Most of the time, I HATE bridal belts. There are, however, exceptions. A nice belt can really make a very simple bridal look, if chosen carefully with both style and budget in mind.

So what about you? LOVE? HATE? Something in between? Tell me all about it!

You guys know I love DIY. I think it makes for a unique, highly personal celebration. On the other hand, it’s not for everyone. Some of us don’t have the time, or the inclination to do the work for ourselves. And let’s face it, there are some amongst us who simply do not have the crafting chops to get the job done right. For example:

(Image via CraftFail)
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to put up that poor mess of string at my wedding reception!

So what do you do if you love DIY but don’t have the time or the space or the talent? Why you go to people who have those things and pay them to do it for you. And that’s where Etsy comes into play.
(more…)