11/30/11: 5 Wedding Ideas a Day

I just love the use of colored water in these centerpieces:

Source: Uploaded by user via Bride on Pinterest

I adore shepherd's hook decorations:

Source: Uploaded by user via Bride on Pinterest

So simple, yet so elegant. But I really just want to add a lace boarder on the vase:

Source: Uploaded by user via Bride on Pinterest

I can't get over how cute this is. A save the date that looks like a book cover:

Source: weddingpaperdivas.com via Bride on Pinterest

Combine the save the date with this idea for making a book out of all your wedding cards and you've got one adorable novel:

Source: somethingturquoise.com via Bride on Pinterest

11/29/11: 5 Wedding Ideas a Day

A beautiful slow shutter picture idea for your Wedding Photos:

Source: flickr.com via Bride on Pinterest

I love the use of all things wine related for decorations:

Source: classy-wedding-ideas.com via Bride on Pinterest

These candle centerpieces are stunning:

Source: corettaselegantevents.blogspot.com via Bride on Pinterest

This may just be the best way to preserve your bouquet and invitation that I have ever seen:

Source: pressedgarden.blogspot.com via Bride on Pinterest

For the bathroom, outside put pictures of the bride and groom (any age)! It's the little things:

Source: luminairefoto.com via Bride on Pinterest

Components of a Wedding: Your Wedding Gown

Now that you know the proper undergarment attire (see Components of a Wedding: Undergarments for Your Gown) for Your Gown, here are some tips to help you find the perfect Gown for your big day.

Try all different kinds of styles (skirt and bodice)

Just because you have looked at a lot of gowns, does not mean you have any idea what those gowns will look like on you. While yes, the model wearing that gown can't pull it off to save her life, that doesn't mean you can't.  And vice versa! The truth is we are all different, we have different body shapes and sizes, different faces, hair and skin tones.  So why would we ever think that the model wearing a gown is a true vision of what we would look like wearing that same gown?  I'm not saying try EVERY gown on.  I'm saying try one or two of each skirt and bodice style until you can decide what looks best on you.  Once you have zeroed in on the right skirt and bodice, finding the gown of your dreams should be easy.

Don't give up and don't settle

So you tried on 10-20 gowns and nothing is slapping you in the face, that doesn't mean you aren't going to find one that does!  I'm not saying try on 100 in a day till you find it.  Because if it takes you more than 10 you should probably take a break, re-evaluate what you are looking for and come back another day.  Take some time to sleep on it, and look at the pictures (always take pictures).  Which leads me to my next tip.

ALWAYS TAKE PICTURES!!!!!

And if you are in a place that tells you that you aren't allowed, tell them you'll take your $$$$ and go somewhere else.  Because lets face it ladies, at the end of your wedding day all that's left are some hazy memories and your photo album.

Do your research & know your skirts, bodices, and materials

Ball Gown. A-line. Pick-up. Sheath. Trumpet. Mermaid. Empire. Corset. Sweetheart. Halter. Sleeved. Straps. Satin. Charmuese. Taffeta. Tulle. Chiffon. Lace.

Know what you don't like


If the sight of lace makes you want to vomit, you should probably tell your consultant you'd like to avoid it.  If you hate the sight of sparkly things, you should also avoid that. I know this seems contradictory to my first tip, but we are creatures of habit and if your whole life you've never liked the sight of a pick-up skirt, that probably wont change in a fitting.  Let your consultant know if there is something you really despise, she might still have you try on one gown that contains it but only to be 100% sure.

Components of a Wedding: Photos

Don't miss a single snapshot.  Here is a list of pictures to take on your wedding day.  Please feel free to add your favorite poses in the comments!

Pre-Ceremony Photographs

1. Groom with each Groomsman
2. Groom with all Groomsmen
3. Groom with Best Man
4. Groom with Ring Bearer
5. Groom with his Parent's
6. Groom's Parents
7. Groom alone
8. Bride with each Bridesmaid
9. Bride with all Bridesmaids
10. Bride Full Length
11. Bride 3/4 Length & Close-up
12. Bride with Maid of Honor
13. Bride with Flower Girl
14. Bride with her Parents
15. Bride's Parents
16. Placing Garter on Bride's leg
17. Mom adjusting Bride's Veil
18. Bride alone (casual)
19. Bride with Groomsmen
20. Groom with Bridesmaids

Ceremony Photos

1. Groom's Mother escorted down aisle
2. Bride's Mother escorted down aisle
3. Ushers unrolling aisle runner
4. Bridesmaids going down aisle
5. Maid of Honor going down aisle
6. Flower Girl & Ring Bearer in aisle
7. Bride Kissing her Dad on Cheek
8. Bride & Father going down aisle
9. Exchange of Vows
10. Lighting of Candles
11. Placing of Rings
12. The Kiss
13. Newlyweds returning down aisle

After Ceremony Photos

1. Receiving line after Ceremony
2. Bride & Groom leaving Church
3. Bride & Groom entering Car/Limo
4. Bride & Groom with Bride's Entire Family
5. Bride & Groom with Bride's Immediate Family
6. Bride & Groom with Bride's Parents
7. Bride & Groom with Groom's Entire Family
8. Bride & Groom with Groom's Immediate Family
9. Bride & Groom with Groom's Parents
10. Bride & Groom with Wedding Party
11. Bride & Groom with Best Man & Maid of Honor
12. Bride & Groom with Flower Girl & Ring Bearer
13. Bride & Groom Full Length
14. Bride & Groom 3/4 Length & Close-up
15. Bride with Groomsmen
16. Groom with Bridesmaids

Reception Photos

1. Cake before cutting
2. Wedding Party entering Reception
3. Best Man Toast
4. Wedding Party Toast
5. Bride & Groom Toast each other
6. Bride & Groom Cutting the Cake
7. Feeding each other Cake
8. Bride & Groom Dancing
9. Bridal Party Dance
10. Bride Dancing with her Father
11. Groom Dancing with his Mother
12. Bride throwing Bouquet
13. Groom removing Bride's Garter
14. Groom throwing the Garter
15. Garter & Bouquet Recipients
16. Various Candid Photographs

Components of a Wedding: Undergarments for your Gown

Finding your Wedding Gown could arguably be the most important task for a Bride to accomplish.  Going into this task a Bride has no idea what to expect.  I've been doing some Wedding Gown consulting for a few months now, and I think these tips will help in your hunt for the perfect Gown (and accessories).

Before getting into any Gown, a Bride should wear a longline bra and a slip.  Here is why:

The Bra



Beyond the fact that a longline bra holds everything together and prevents bulges or rolls showing up on your Wedding Day (reason #1 a longline bra is important), there is another reason this kind of bra is a necessity.  A longline bra creates a foundation for a Wedding Gown (reason #3 a longline bra is important) and holds the dress up.  When you pair a longline bra with a properly altered Gown, it eliminates the "boob adjustment dance" so many women in a strapless anything do (reason #3 a longline bra is important).

The Slip (whatever poof you prefer)



Most Brides despise the idea of wearing a slip under their dress.  I've heard all the excuses you can think of. But the benefits from wearing the slip on your Wedding Day outweigh all of the whining.  Just like the longline bra (a good) slip will have some control to prevent the bulging and the rolls from showing up in photos (reason #1).  A slip gives the gown volume, if you so chose to have a poofy dress (reason #2).  A slip prevents the dress from becoming static city on your legs, butt and anything else you don't want it to cling to (like other people) (reason #3).  But the most important reason to wear a slip is because when you walk down the aisle, your dress creates a vacuum.  So you take a step forward and every inch of your dress gets sucked in and you can perfectly see the outline of your legs as you walk down the aisle.  But if you are wearing a slip, this will be prevented (reason #4).  I understand slips add extra layers and that they make your body temperature rise.  But wear it anyways, even if its just for the ceremony and pictures, it will be well worth it!

Every Bride should start with these basics when trying on Wedding Gowns.  The layers can always be removed if you end up in a backless Gown or a sheath skirt Gown.  Trust me, the Gown will look much better if you are wearing the proper undergarments.  And if you truly truly can't stand the though of wearing the undergarments try the dress on without it BEFORE you purchase it, you'll notice the difference!

Components of a Wedding: Finding a Theme

Finding a theme for your wedding isn't crucial.  Frankly, it might not even be a priority.  But the truth is, a theme makes everything come together.  A theme shows fluidity from ceremony to reception.  When your guests leave your beautiful ceremony and arrive at your reception, they should feel like it is the celebration of the joyous event they just witnessed.  They should not feel like they stopped at someone else's celebration.

Something I like to think about when creating a theme is using a common denominator between the first announcement of the wedding till the last memory the guests have of the reception.

Typically, I'll start with the invitation (or save the date card).  Sometimes it is as simple as a symbol or a phrase.  Taking the theme and incorporating it into the ceremony programs gives the feeling of connectivity from what your guests first saw to the first impressions of your beautiful day.  Bringing that theme to life with decorations in your reception hall will help complete that fluid feeling.  And if you really feel like going above and beyond, find a way to incorporate it into your thank you cards.

One of my favorite themes was a wedding I recently helped with (planning a wedding is the pride of a bride, I could never take that away from her).  On the invitations the bride selected the verbiage " [Parents Names] ask you to join them in a celebration of love, friendship, laughter and family".  Then I took that to the ceremony programs I hand crafted.  And as a final touch we thought of and created head table decorations.  Taking wooden letters, painting them the base color (bridesmaids dress color) and wrapping them with yarn in the accent colors (colors of the flowers).  Love, Friendship, Laughter and Family danced through the heads of all the guests of the wedding.

Components of a Wedding: Budgeting

Budgeting is crucial when it comes to planning a wedding.  There are tons of components to a wedding budget. Hopefully this can guide you in the right direction.


The first step is an overview.

BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Beauty Budget
Ceremony Budget
Reception Budget
Entertainment Budget
Photography Budget
Decorations Budget
Honeymoon Budget
TOTAL

Now you must break the different categories down. One at a time

BEAUTY BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Dress
Veil
Hairpiece
Shoes
Slip
Bra
Sash / Embellishment
Alterations
Bustle
Hair Appointment
Make Up
Pedicure / Manicure
Surprise
TOTAL

CEREMONY BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Venue
Officiate
Chairs
Unity Candle
Aisle Runner
Programs
Pianist / Musician
Changing Rooms
Surprise
TOTAL

RECEPTION BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Venue
Food
Eating Utensils
Tables
Chairs
Cake
Alcohol
Surprise
TOTAL

ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
DJ
Photo Booth
Transportation
TOTAL:

PHOTOGRAPHY BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Engagement Photos
Pre-Ceremony
Ceremony
Locations
Reception
Second Photographer
Photo Album
Rights to Photos
Prints
TOTAL

DECORATIONS BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Cake Topper
Cake Cutter
Champaign Flukes
Card Box
Flowers
Swag
Candles
Surprise
TOTAL

HONEYMOON BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Transportation
Accommodations
Excursions
Food / Drink
Passport
Surprise
TOTAL

I highly recommend always creating and budget for the surprise category.  You just never know what will happen!  With this budget you are able to track how much you want to spend and what you actually spent, making it easy to see if you need to start cutting back on something.