Archive for August, 2009

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Is Using the Regular Search Function Really That Hard?

Monday, August 24th, 2009

As you probably already know, I’m a huge fan of Bluefly for bridesmaids’ dresses and even wedding gowns. Shopping there makes so much sense to me — for what you pay, you get a beautiful dress with a good name attached and oftentimes pay less than you would at the bridal salon. Yay!

bluefly-weddings

At some point in the not-too-distant past, Bluefly opened the Wedding 2.0 section of its web site. While I hate the whole ‘2.0’ thing, I like the way you navigate it. First, you indicate whether you’re attending the wedding or in the wedding party, then you either choose what sort of wedding it is or your role in the wedding party. Finally, Wedding 2.0 presents you with a number of options. It’s not perfect, natch. I pretended to be a size 12 bridesmaid looking for a yellow dress and got two results. Slimming down didn’t help, either. And if you’re larger than a size 14, you’re out of luck all over the map, apparently.

All the same, it makes it a teeny bit easier to shop on Bluefly for wedding-wear. Not enough to get excited about, but that’s not going to stop me from featuring some lovely wedding-ready dresses and gowns later this week. Of course, I’d also love to hear about your favorite online shops that carry wedding appropriate gear for guests and members of the wedding party. Have at it in the comments!

Posted in Bridesmaids Dresses, Dresses, MOB/MOG Dresses, Shopping, Wedding Dresses | 3 Comments »

WEdding Myths and Realities

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

You know, every twice in a while it’s a good thing to dust off the cultural assumptions, take a long, hard look at them, and then have a good laugh. I do this pretty much every sunday afternoon/evening while sitting down with WETV’s WE Go Bridal Sunday.

Why do I subject myself to so many hours of Bridezillas, Platinum Weddings, My Fair Wedding (though in truth I find it extremely difficult to stomach much of that one), and all the rest? Because they are rich in the unspoken mythos of weddings and marriage.

So what are some of the top wedding/marriage myths dished out? What’s the reality behind them? Take a look beyond the cut to see.

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Posted in Media, Television | 8 Comments »

Twistie’s Sunday Caption Madness: The Ennui Edition: The Result

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

You lovely, lovely people.

Last sunday I hit you all with this…very special image:

Boring Wedding Night

…and you came back fighting with ten great captions.

It isn’t easy to choose, but choose I must for there can be but one winner. This week the laurel (and hearty handshake) goes to AmazonPrincess for this very special caption:

As Susan downed her umpteenth glass of champagne, James wondered if liveblogging his wedding was such a great idea.

Congratulations, AmazonPrincess! And thanks to everyone who played.

Posted in Sunday Caption Madness | Comments Closed

Inspired By Obama

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Not the main man, obviously — this A.B.S. gown was inspired by our fashion-forward FLOTUS, Michelle Obama. Cream chiffon meets floral detail in the ‘Michelle’ one-shoulder gown, which can be yours if you have $309 and are size 0-8. Note that only one of these things describes yours truly… ah, well.

abs-michelle-gown

This frock is, of course, a play on that designed by 26-year-old Jason Wu and worn by the First Lady on inaugural ball night. Personally I like the original much more than the copy and would rather give a fledgling designer my money than copycat Allen B. Schwartz. Still, it would make an attractive and original wedding dress, no?

PS — I’ve finally updated my blogroll, so go check out the new great wedding reads!

Posted in Dresses, Wedding Dresses | 3 Comments »

LOVE/HATE: The ‘All Wrapped Up’ Edition

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Before I launch into this week’s LOVE/HATE, I have to admit that I’m not typical when it comes to rings. I had two engagement rings, both with semi-precious stones, and I wear them when they happen to go with the day’s outfit. I sometimes wear a beautiful ruby ring I received for my birthday last year in lieu of my wedding band. And that wedding band? It’s not even the one The Beard put on my finger on the day we said our vows. So suffice it to say, my opinions regarding finger baubles for the bride probably cannot be considered normal.

engagement-ring-wrap

That said, I really cannot stand engagement ring wraps. Big HATE from NtB’s corner! I will never, ever, ever tell someone they shouldn’t wear one, nor will I look down upon those who think they are just spiffy. I’ll even smile and say I adore your ring, because I’m a sweetie like that. It’s all a matter of preference, right? You can love them, and I can loathe them, and we can all be friends and go for cocktails.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, the engagement ring wrap is basically a wedding band — with or without gemstones — sporting a hole in the middle that accommodates a solitary stone set in the usual way. They come in various metals and with various stones. They can be simple like the one shown above or rather complicated. There are single shank wraps, circumference wraps, and dual shank wraps. But whatever sort they are, their job is to make two rings look more like one for those who dislike two ring bling. Oh, and they can also safeguard more delicate rings by acting as a sort of bumper.

What say you? An easy way to customize an engagement ring? Or a great way to ruin one?

Posted in Engagement Rings, Rings, Wedding Rings | 15 Comments »

Wedding Budgets: What Not to Do

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

It struck me today that we haven’t talked about the big M here at Manolo for the Brides in quite some time. Obviously I don’t mean matrimony, since that’s our bread and butter. No, today I thought I’d write about money. Let’s face it — when most of us are planning our dream weddings in our heads, influenced as we are by blogs and magazines and pictures of lavish weddings on wedding photographer we sites, budgeting is not usually at the forefront of our thoughts. Which is where it ought to be, really.

vintage-wedding-photos

Sometimes it’s easier to remember what not to do than an endless list of what one should do. In that vein, I’ve put together a short list of DON’Ts that can help you put together a practically perfect wedding budget. (Feel free to add your own DON’Ts in the comments!)

DON’T underestimate how much a wedding costs in your area. Maybe you’re getting married in an inexpensive locale. Maybe you’re getting married in Manhattan. When you’re sitting down to create your wedding budget, plug your zip into Cost of Wedding to see how much the average wedding will run there. People where I live apparently spend between $23,560 and $39,266, which isn’t to say you *must* spend that. But be realistic in your estimates.

DON’T assume that you have to pay full price. Ever. If there’s one thing I stress over and over again in my book iDo: Planning Your Wedding with Nothing But ‘Net, it’s that you can almost always get a deal by shopping around. And you know, it never hurts to ask for a discount from wedding vendors or retailers, especially when you’re buying something in bulk or spending a lot. The worst they can say is no.

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Posted in Advice, Budgets, Weddings | 6 Comments »

Make a Mug, the Camera’s On You

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

We’re having flooring put down today, which means that the baby and I are effectively trapped in the family room for the morning. Rather than wait to post, I thought I’d give you some eye candy… fun and inspiring eye candy, I hope. I’m a huge fan of fun wedding photos and funny wedding photos, especially the really creative ones. Here’s a sampling of images I’ve only just come across. I love the first one to pieces, as does The Beard.

funny-wedding-picture

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Posted in Fun stuff, Photography | 2 Comments »

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