December, 2006 | Manolo for the Brides

Archive for December, 2006

More wonderful things

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Here is a comment that the fabulous Phyllis posted a while back that certainly bears repeating:

If you’d like to learn more about the many different colors of bridal whites, I recommend getting a Bridal Swatch Set from Thai Silks in Loa Angeles. The swatches are marked and they sell every type of silk fabric: Duchesse satin, regular satin in several weights, chiffon, georgette, jacquard, crepe in several weights, embroidered organza – everything!. The Bridal Swatch Set also includes a full color range for bridal party gowns. You get over well 100 swatches.

The set includes 19 bundles of fabrics, all patterns and colors included, and costs a mere $12. What better way to learn the differences between the seemingly endless array of silks?

On the subject of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of panties,” a certain Polly had plenty to say about Passport Panties. Luckily, pretty Polly was kind enough to tell me just what this product is all about as the web site is oddly silent on the details. The kit exists to protect women-on-the-go (and who is more “on” than your average bride or bridesmaid) from underwear emergencies. Inside each faux Passport hides a panty–bikini, thong, or boy short, cleansing towelettes, and deodorant. While I don’t know about that last bit…I’m not one for putting scents on my hoo-ha…it could be a clever little something to include if you’re making your favorite bride or bridesmaid a wedding day disaster prevention kit.

Finally, the assuredly handsome Jared wrote to tell me about his own online store. He said, “I was tired of the normal flasks and so on I received as groomsmen gifts and, after a lot of research, I decided to give my groomsmen personalized pub signs. It was a big hit, and a lot of people asked where we got them.” This enterprising fellow then decided to turn his good idea into a great idea by opening The Pub Sign Store. The tagline? NO MORE FLASKS.

[The groom] wasn’t too keen on details. So he wasn’t thrilled when extensive searching and talking resulted in all the normal crap: beer steins, money clips, poker sets, flasks…

Flasks?? Unless your groomsmen are 75-year-old homeless alcoholics, what are they going to do with a flask?

Indeed. I have a feeling I know what I’m going to get for The Beard at the next gifting holiday!

Posted in Brides, Bridesmaids Dresses, Dresses, Gifts, Grooms, Wedding Dresses | Comments Closed

Seating simply

Thursday, December 28th, 2006

The mysterious Srah of srah blah blah sent me a link some time ago to SimpleSeating. If you’re like me and the notion of writing out a seating chart makes you break out in hives, you may like it. The site lets users create seating charts online using a drag and drop application. There is no software to install and the seating chart SimpleSeating provides includes RSVP and dietary restriction info for each guest.

It looks like this…except bigger:

The app walkthrough on the site is not yet functional, unfortunately. So I signed up to see what it was all about. Making a seating chart for up to 50 guests is free…and if your wedding is larger than that and you want to buck the cost, I imagine you could divide your space into two, three, or four rectangles and then create seating charts for each. Of course, that would be stealing and we all know stealing is wrong. Right?

When I tried to drop my faux wedding guest list to 48, it wouldn’t let me. The first step had me creating new guest profiles. I kind of liked that vegetarian was the default option…though others might not fancy that so much. Nine was the top number of “party members” I could include in each entry. Then it was on to dragging and dropping tables and chairs into a sort of grid thing. Finally, I shoved my virtual guests’ virtual behinds into said chairs.

Easy? Yes. I love how I can just move the little people all around as much as I want to.

Posted in Guests, Weddings | 4 Comments »

A lady, all the way to her fingertips

Wednesday, December 27th, 2006

Today’s post is sort of in accordance with my resolution to clear out my inbox. You see, more than a year ago, the fabulous Madelene (aka Gidget Bananas) sent me a link to a post on A Dress A Day that featured a vintage swan-like satin gown with faux feathers and plenty of tulle for sale on Vintage Textile‘s Treasure Hunt page. Of course, the gown has long since been snapped up by some lucky bride or some lucky collector. Who knows?

Anyhow, revisiting Madelene’s long-neglected e-mail inspired me to browse the current Treasure Hunt offerings. There, I found gloves and lots of ’em. I don’t know about you, but I love gloves. There is something so ladylike and elegant about a nice pair of properly worn kid gloves, long or short. Check out these fabulous French evening gloves in beige:

$Oh my gawd, they\'re gorgeous!$

Of course, if you are planning to wear gloves on your wedding day, you may very well have questions as to the proper usage of such an accessory. Check out Hudson Valley Weddings’ comprehensive glove guide, “Gloves, a Wedding Style-Setter.” Or visit eHow, which, surprisingly, has a shorter basic glove-wearing guide.

STEP 3: Choose the glove length, determined by the number of buttons, based on the type of dress worn. For instance, both the 6-button glove, which ends just below the elbow, and the 8-button glove, which reaches the elbow, look best with a short-sleeved gown; the 16-button glove, also known as the opera-length glove, extends to the upper arm and accents a sleeveless or strapless gown. Forgo gloves when donning a long-sleeved dress, or else wear wrist-length gloves.

STEP 4: Slit the seam of a long glove at the underside of the ring finger to be able to slip your finger out during the ceremonial ring exchange – resew the seam after the wedding. If you opt for shorter wrist-length gloves, you can simply remove the glove and hand it to a bridal attendant.

STEP 5: Slip your now beautifully adorned finger discreetly back in your glove, or if you took off the glove completely, leave it off for the remainder of the ceremony.

Don’t forget, however, to put your glove back on at the end of the ceremony, before photographs are taken, as you don’t want to look back at those pictures and think of Michael Jackson. But always, always, always take your gloves off before eating and drinking, and keep them off while cutting the cake.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Make it personal

Tuesday, December 26th, 2006

First off, let me give a big congrats to all those who received proposals during the recent religious holidays we’ve only just survived. I can only hope that there will be wonderful proposals to come in the days preceding New Year’s Eve. While I don’t know anyone so recently engaged personally, I know ya’ll are out there! Don’t forget to start your engagement photo album–if you’re into that sort of thing, of course.

Now…as we’re this close to making the transition into 2007, I’ve decided I really need to get on the ball where reader recommendations are concerned. Consequently, for the next week, I’m going to roll through the e-mails that have lingered long in my inbox so I can share with you all of the great stuff my readers (and a handful of other folks) have shared with me!

The first of these comes from personal chef Jennifer Lynn Pelka, who suggests that B2B (and their grooms) consider hiring a professional chef to take care of the rehearsal dinner details. While Jennifer Lynn obviously has some professional interest in this topic, you have to admit the idea is intriguing. Restaurants can be so impersonal and renting a space for a smaller party like a rehearsal dinner can be a real pain in the butt. Here’s the skinny:

Jennifer Lynn will create a unique menu for you and your guests. Imagine a rehearsal dinner that is so personalized that it features a redux of the tuna tartare you ordered on your first date; hazelnut crêpes with gruyère, thyme, and caramelized chanterelle mushrooms that recall your romantic walks along the Seine; and a minted strawberry soup with vanilla meringue hearts reminiscent of the fruit you picked with your parents every summer.

Everything will be entirely taken care of for you, a godsend for a busy bride-to-be. Because Jennifer Lynn specializes in extravagant events for two to twelve guests, she gives great attention to every detail. She works with the graphic designer Emily Arden Wells to create beautiful menus, and thoughtfully organizes floral arrangements, table settings, lighting, and clean-up in the place that feels the most familiar and familial to you – your own home.

If your mental list of wedding details that are important to you has food somewhere in the first few slots, take a few minutes to check out the personal chefs in your area. You may just find a chef you adore!

Posted in Weddings | 4 Comments »

Happy holidays from N.t.B.!

Sunday, December 24th, 2006

$The gifts don\'t go under the tree$

Rosalind MacLean of Rosalind’s Desserts by Design proves that there is no better way to celebrate the holidays than with cakes that look as good as they taste!

Posted in Cakes, Gifts | Comments Closed

Comments on the Manolo For the Brides

Friday, December 22nd, 2006

Manolo says, Ayyyyyyyyy!

Many apologies to the internet friends of the Manolo and the Never teh Bride, as once again the Manolo has accidently erased some of the comments left here at the Manolo for the Brides.

As you may perhaps know, the popular blogs are continually under assualt from the comment spammers who each day attempt to leave thousands of the inappropriate comments, all in the effort to gain the positional advantage in the search engines.

As the consequence, one of the daily tasks of the Manolo is to erase these useless and frequently offensive comments. Sadly, the Manolo occasionally errs, deleting the real comments, which has today happened again.

Posted in Doings of the Manolo | Comments Closed

Questions first. Then jewels.

Friday, December 22nd, 2006

Apparently the text outputs for the New York Times and Cosmo were mixed up on the 17th. Next month, confused Cosmo readers everywhere are going to be raising their eyebrows at a cover story entitled “Self-Proclaimed Freedom Fighter Charged in Killings of 18 Iraqi Soldiers.” I have come to this conclusion after reading the recent hard-hitting Times article, “Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying.” It features gems like:

1) Have we discussed whether or not to have children, and if the answer is yes, who is going to be the primary care giver?

3) Have we discussed our expectations for how the household will be maintained, and are we in agreement on who will manage the chores?

7) Will there be a television in the bedroom?

11) Do we value and respect each other’s parents, and is either of us concerned about whether the parents will interfere with the relationship?

12) What does my family do that annoys you?

Sure, these are good questions to ask, but if you need a piece in the Times New York Times Weddings & Celebrations section to tell you this, you may want to consider counseling before tying the knot.

But, hell, it’s the holidays. Who cares what the stodgy old dodgers at the Times think. I want to look at fabulous handmade jewelry, like that crafted by Erica Weiner. She uses scavenged and vintage materials, as well as baubles she collects on her travels, to create whimsical and imaginative necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. The descriptions on her site are fabulous as they give a clue into the origins of the materials she used to create each piece.

Check these out: