I did promise a while back that I’d have a look at the royal wedding hats before too long. Mostly because I myself love a good hat… and a bad hat, if it’s fancy and flashy enough! The royal wedding hats that played a starring role on the heads of Kate and William’s wedding guests definitely fall into both camps, from Princess Beatrice’s wild Cthulhu number to the Queen’s cheery yellow cake-like hat. If nothing else, some of the more spectacular royal wedding hats were gorgeously over the top and definitely eye-catching!

Would I wear them all? No. Do I love them all? Yes.

And had my own invitation to the royal wedding not gotten lost in the mail – damn the USPS! – I do believe I would have opted for something a bit more conservative than the head wear above. Perhaps something like this:

I'd be the bee of the ball!

Or this:

Maybe the bow of the ball?

One of the things I think I regret most about my own wedding experience was buying my gown online. NOT, I want to stress, that I think there’s anything wrong with buying online if you’re not one for shopping. I just wish I’d gotten to have that wedding dress shopping experience that is so often cited as one of those special elements of wedding planning that bride will remember forever. Only problem was that in my case, shopping was difficult. My mom was in another state. As a freelancer, my schedule was flexible, but mostly when it came to daytime on weekdays – precisely when my girlfriends were at work. There was something about the notion of shopping for my gown alone that just plain bummed me out. End result, I ended up with something not quite right instead of, say, one of the Priscilla of Boston wedding dresses that might have been my first choice.

Want to know a secret about me? I still imagine myself walking into somewhere like Priscilla of Boston (which just happens to be local to me and just plain awesome all around), and getting the celebrity-style bride-to-be treatment along with my mom and a bestie or two, even though my hope is that I’ll never actually need another wedding dress! (Note: I am not the kind of weirdo who would actually go try on a bunch of gowns, fibbing about being engaged all the while. I’m this shy of being that kind of weirdo, but not there yet.)

Aren’t those just beautiful? …and there I go hypothetically wedding gown shopping all over again.

Indeed, if I had my whole wedding to do over again, I’d probably actually hit up an actual real live luxury bridal shop this time around after figuring out a day and time that worked for those of my loved ones who are ladies instead of just going it alone. Not that there’s anything wrong with gown shopping alone if that’s what you want to do, but I personally didn’t find my wedding gown shopping and wedding gown alteration experience all that jazzy. (Did you know that P of B – can I call it that? – can make a muslin before making your gown so it fits your body perfectly? Would have saved me a lot of hassle, that’s for sure…)

So that’s my sob story – no one to shop with, no pre-wedding pampering in the bridal salon. Now I’m asking you: What was the best part of your wedding gown shopping experience? What, if anything, do you regret about your wedding gown shopping experience?

(Note: Since my esteemed colleague has spent the week showing us awesome things she loves, I suddenly feel a need to purge a bit of bile. Yes, I’m a contrarian. Why do you ask?)
via A Beautiful Bride
Seriously? On a thong?

Folks, the label thing has gotten out of hand. By the time someone gets down to your undies, they really ought to know you well enough to realize you’re engaged. I’m just saying.

And what do you do with all the clothes labelled ‘Bride’ ‘Groom’ ‘Bridesmaid’ ‘Ring Bearer’ or ‘Second Cousin of the Bride’s Date?’ A tee shirt for the bachelor(ette) party I can understand. It’s a silly thing to wear on the town once and then use ever after when detailing your car or washing the dog. Not really my scene, but I’ve owned enough shirts that harkened back to a play I was in or a band I went to see once when I was twenty to understand a similar wedding souvenir.

But seriously, underwear?

And this says it has crystals up the back.

Ouch.

When you say “I do,” the hope is that you’re saying I do forever. Today, I was tempted to write something about wedding superstitions , but I don’t want to promote the hype that some minor decision made in advance of the big day can ruin a wedding or make a couple unlucky forever. It’s more important to get married on a date that’s convenient for you and your loved ones, to wear the colors that you love, to see your spouse the morning of the wedding or not, to traipse around in your wedding dress and bridal veil whenever you feel like if you want to, and so on. With everything else brides and grooms have to worry about, I don’t want to be the one to add bad luck to the list!

Of course, one can find love at any age!

So instead of going on about bad luck on this Friday the 13th, I thought I’d wind down NtB Loves week by talking about a topic that I think is extraordinarily luck: Old love. From what I hear, there’s nothing quite like it… to have someone you’ve grown old with by your side, a person who’s walked with you through the best and the worst of life. That’s pretty awesome, you have to admit! Even if, like Alton Nichols, 82, and Betty Hall, 87, you don’t find each other until you’ve walked through a lot of bests and worsts without one another. Recently, my own grandparents celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary, which is quite the achievement these days!

Has anyone in your circle hit 60 years of marriage? Who are your Old Love role models?

I’ve posted a handful of paper flower bridal bouquets in the past, but of course, bouquets aren’t the only places you can use paper flowers! How about paper flower boutonnieres, paper flower reception table centerpieces, or paper flowers hanging from chairs and pews, or scattered on tables? It’s definitely not traditional, but paper flower wedding decor and accessories can be incredibly cute! (And for some, DIY friendly…)

A colorful paper bridal bouquet

Paper flower pew bouquets

HUGE flower wedding table centerpieces

And classic paper roses

Very cute, no?

Alternative, but similar idea: wedding pinwheels!

I love cake, but I love creative wedding cake – that also tastes good – even more than cake itself. There’s something just so awesome about a creative wedding cake that looks so beautiful or interesting that you have to feel a touch of a regret cutting into it. Not every bride or groom can afford a super fancy reception dessert, and not every couple really wants one, but if you have the means and the notion, think about making your wedding cake a confection to remember!

Inspired by stained glass!

How about beautiful birds?

Continue Reading…

Beautiful, no?

Remember during Bridesmaids Week here at Manolo for the Brides when I posted two pics of gorgeous bridesmaids dresses that didn’t match and were anything but plain? Well I still love patterned bridesmaids dresses, months later, and really do think that more brides-to-be should consider dressing their ‘maids in polka dots and florals and stripes and swirlies! I actually posted about patterned bridesmaids dresses back in 2009, hoping it would become some hot new wedding trend, but it never did catch on like I hoped. Maybe this is my year? What’s your take on bridesmaids dresses in pretty patterns?

Image: Maggie Heinzel-Neel Photography