The Stressed Out Bride

It seems like more and more brides these days feel overwhelmed by stress. Trying to find time to plan a wedding while working full time, exercising, keeping a house, and trying to give quality time to your friends, family, and fiance can be downright exhausting! So what is a stressed out bride to do?

The first thing to do is stop. Take a breath. Do nothing for at least thirty minutes. But wait, you protest, there are invitations to address, a presentation to prepare for Monday morning, and dinner with the in-laws in one hour! I repeat: stop and take a breath.

The first step is almost always to simply. There are only so many hours in the day. If you find yourself staying up until midnight creating handmade wedding favors, you are attempting to do too much. You either have to find things to let go of, or hire someone to help you, like a good wedding planner.

Find other ways to make more efficient use of your time. The internet can be your best friend for quick and easy shopping. You can find all sorts of beautiful things online, from jewelry gifts for your bridesmaids to the perfect wedding gift for your fiance.

There are a couple of things that you should not cut out of your schedule, no matter how hectic it has become. Time with your fiance is one of them. The other big thing to fit into your schedule is exercise. For many busy people, it is the first thing to go, but keeping active and fit will really help you feel more energized and relaxed.

Most people will feel stressed at some point while planning a wedding. It is a lot to get done when your life is already too full. Make sure that you find the time to relax and let go of your stress, and above all, remember to enjoy your wedding as much as possible.

Groomsmen Gifts for the Outdoorsman

You want your groomsmen gifts to be something that your friends will really enjoy. Every time that they use it, they should remember you and your wedding fondly. Ideally, a groomsman present will be something that will last and stand the test of time. Stay away from anything too trendy or cheaply made.

If you have men in your wedding party who love to be outdoors, that could be a place to begin when thinking about their gifts. What are some of the best memories that you all have together? Is it hiking, camping, or fishing?

Or perhaps you like to spend time outside together doing something more sporty like playing in the company softball league or even just catching a football game together. These can also be great sources of inspiration.

For instance, if one of your friends loves camping, a really nice tent or high-end sleeping bag could make a terrific, if non-traditional, groomsman gift. Other ideas include monogrammed golf balls for the golf enthusiast or maybe a selection of fancy hand-tied flies for the fly fisherman.

There are lots of great choices that any man would love to receive. You can never go wrong with a silver pocket knife. Make it more special by engraving his initials on it. One of the nice things about that type of gift is that it works for guys with a broad range of interests. The practical sort will like the pocket knife because it is functional, and the more stylish guy will like its timeless good looks.

Although finding the perfect gift for your groomsmen may not be easy, it is worth putting the effort in to get the perfect thing. If you take some time to think about what they would really like, deciding on the right gift will not be so difficult, after all. And when you see how much your attendants appreciate what you selected, all of your hard work will be worth it.

Planning a Lilly Pulitzer Themed Bridal Shower

When planning a bridal shower, it is important to come up with a festive theme. If the bride is a dyed in the wool preppy who loves all things pink and green, then your choice is easy. Naturally, you will want to throw her a bridal shower with a Lilly Pulitzer theme!

Throwing a Lilly Pulitzer themed shower will be a lot of fun, and actually will be quite easy to pull off. With pink and green as your color palette, it will be quite simple to coordinate all of the elements to make one fabulous party for the bride. Having a great theme also helps when it comes to choosing the food, flowers, and favors.

For décor, you can use Lilly Pulitzer fabric to make a tablecloths for the table where the food will be served. The flowers will be easy: big bunches of pink lilies, of course! If you are using heavily scented flowers like stargazer lilies, though, do not put them on the table with the food. Display them in other parts of the room, and use something unscented like tulips for the food table.

Speaking of food, think pink! Pink cocktails are a must, preferably served in a stylish glass like a martini glass. Silver mint julep cups would also be a great choice, and they could double as the favors for the guests to take home.

After the bridal shower, the bride might want to consider using the same theme as inspiration for her bridesmaid gifts. It is a great way to show the attendants how much she loved the bridal shower. A really sweet bridesmaid gift that would tie in with the Lilly Pulitzer theme is a set of bridesmaid jewelry handcrafted with pink and green Swarovski crystals – adorable! To make it even more special, present the jewelry in a monogrammed pink and green makeup bag.

Bridal showers are such a pleasant and memorable time for the bride, her friends, mother, and sisters. Make it even better by planning a party with a great theme, like the designs of Lilly Pulitzer. And make sure to take lots of photos of the whole group decked out in their finest pink and green dresses!

Put the “We” Into Your Wedding!

It often seems like a wedding is something planned by the bride and her mother, with no input from the groom. While it is true that many men are happy to leave most of the details up to the bride, do not cut them out of the planning. It is important to put the “we” into your wedding.

The first step to putting the “we” into your wedding is to acknowledge that while the bride may take center stage, it is the groom’s day also. Involve him in the planning process right from the beginning. It is true that not every guy cares about the minutia of a wedding, but most of them will have opinions on the bigger decisions, if only someone takes the time to ask them.

Figure out your fiance’s interest level, and then involve him in any choices that you think will interest him. For instance, he may not need to be in on the choice of the which bridal jewelry sets the bride should consider (unless of course, he is shopping for sets of bridal jewelry as a wedding gift to the bride). The ladies’ outfits and accessories are the type of thing that most guys would just as soon not take part in selecting.

There are a few areas of the wedding plans that almost every man would like a say in. They are the venue, the food (especially the cake!), and the music. A good way to include the groom without overwhelming him is to do the preliminary research yourself, and then bring him in for the final decision. Even grooms who are content to leave all of the decisions up to the bride should still be consulted from time to time to make him feel like he is a part of the wedding.

One of the best ways to put the “we” into your wedding is also one of the easiest. When you discuss the wedding in front of your fiance, simply make sure to refer to “our wedding” instead of “my wedding”. Sometimes it is the smallest gestures that make the biggest impact, and you want your fiance to know that you consider him to be an important part of the wedding.

Do Your Own Wedding Flowers

Flowers are one of the most important parts of wedding décor. They help to set the mood, establish a color scheme, and above all, they are beautiful. Flowers can also be very expensive, however, which is why some brides prefer the do-it-yourself approach over hiring a florist.

Unless you are a professional florist, your best bet is to keep your floral arrangements simple. Let the natural beauty of the flowers speak for itself. Where most brides get into trouble is when they attempt to reproduce elaborate displays that they saw in a magazine. A great compromise can be to hire a florist to create the bouquets, which can be more difficult than the centerpieces, and then do the reception flowers yourself.

Certain types of weddings are better suited to do-it-yourself flowers. If you are having an informal ceremony on a mountain top, with the bride in a linen gown and unique handmade wedding jewelry, a loosely arranged bunch of wildflowers would be perfect. However, a grand reception for 350 guests in the Waldorf-Astoria will call for far more opulent floral displays, and therefore the services of a professional.

Outdoor weddings in general will tend to be better candidates for homemade floral displays. If your wedding is in a garden or a meadow, the natural beauty of the site will mean that your décor needs will be minimal. Choose simple arrangements like big bunches of hydrangea in galvanized buckets or fat bouquets of tulips dropped into clear glass bowls. Pitchers also make an excellent vessel for loosely gathered flowers, and make a nice alternative to basic vases.

There are lots of reasons to do your own wedding flowers. Just be certain to plan ahead, and to allow yourself plenty of time to do them. And just think, when people admire your floral arrangements at the wedding, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you created them yourself.

Art Deco Inspired Weddings

Art Deco style would be perfect for an evening wedding. The flavor that is associated with Art Deco is swanky, sophisticated, and icy. The design was cool and linear, and often featured elements like repeated lines and mirrored surfaces. If you are looking for a sample of the pinnacle of Deco design, you will find it in the Chrysler Building in New York City.

A good place to start planning your wedding is with the color palette. For an Art Deco feeling, the perfect color is a pale icy blue. Pair it with shades of silver and chrome for a classic Deco look. You can also add in a dark espresso brown for more depth.

The bride’s ensemble should also fit the Art Deco theme. Forget about big, poufy princess gowns. The look should be slinky, elegant, and very refined. A fabric like silk charmeuse is the perfect example of Deco fashion. It has both the slim lines and the sheen that was characteristic of the era.

The bride will want to find the perfect accessories to complete her look. You do not have to wear estate jewelry, just seek out pieces that have the right flair. Crystal bridal jewelry is perfect because of its clean and icy look. You could even have pieces handcrafted with pale blue crystals, which would look fantastic with a white bridal gown. (And it also covers your “something blue”.)

For couples who want a very stylish and sophisticated wedding, the Art Deco look is ideal. It is not a style that you will see at every wedding, which is also nice. The sophisticated and elegant flair of Art Deco design will help you to create an unforgettable wedding.

Using Velvet in Your Wedding

Do remember the episode of Seinfeld where George confessed that he had always wanted to be draped in velvet? If you found yourself nodding in agreement with him, then indulge your love of velvet when designing your wedding. One caveat, though: velvet is best reserved for winter weddings.

Anytime that you use velvet, you will instantly increase the luxuriousness of something. That is why velvet is a scrumptious addition to any winter wedding. It makes a stunning bridal gown. Picture a long sleeved winter white dress, possibly with fur cuffs. Pure luxury!

A bridal gown that spectacular deserves equally fine wedding jewelry. Because velvet is a heavier fabric, your accessories should have a visual weight to them as well. Look for wedding jewelry with presence. Glittering Swarovski crystals will add the perfect amount of glamour to your bridal ensemble.

Another great place to use velvet in your wedding is in the décor. If you are using a chuppah for your ceremony, it would be lovely to create it from velvet. Since the inside of velvet is nothing special to see, you will want to line the inside of the chuppah with another fabric. You could use a second layer of velvet, or choose a gorgeous silk charmeuse in an accent color.

You can use smaller touches of velvet throughout your wedding reception. If you are using chair covers, a wide velvet ribbon would look lovely tied around the covers. Velvet ribbon can also be used to decorate favors, tied on invitations and menu cards, and glued around the outside of a plain column candleholder for a festive effect.

There is really no limit to the wonderful ways that velvet can be used to dress up a winter wedding. If your wedding will be held in the colder months, take advantage of all that luxurious velvet can bring to your wedding. There is nothing that quite compares with the richness and beauty of fine velvet.

Should You Be on a TV Wedding Show?

I often watch the wedding shows on television (who doesn’t, right?) and wonder where they find the couples depicted. It seems like many people are just so interested in being on television that they do not care if they are portrayed in a favorable light or not. Just being on tv is good enough.

So how do you know if you are a good candidate for being on a wedding show? First of all, it helps to have a good story. You are more likely to be selected if: one of you has just beaten a terrible disease or lost a parent, after ten years of friendship a romance blossomed, or you have a child or two together. Other things that you often see are very expensive weddings and brides with very large personalities (frankly, the groom is usually a minimal consideration in these shows).

You also have to be willing to let all of America into your private affairs. Ask yourself if you are comfortable having everyone know how much you paid for your wedding gown and sets of bridal jewelry, bridal jewelry sets for your bridesmaids, the caterer, and the florist. In this day and age, many people are indeed very open about their spending, so maybe you will be fine revealing everything.

Another thing that should be taken into consideration is whether you like being the center of attention or not. After all, you are going to have television cameras following your every move. If you are the type of person who is prone to stage fright or cherishes her privacy, being on a wedding show will not be for you!

With the popularity of wedding shows on television these days, there are many outlets for a bride who wants to share the details of her wedding with the whole nation. If you think that being involved in one of those programs would make your wedding planning experience even more fun and memorable, then go for it. Just be certain not to share anything that you do not want your grandmother to know about!

Bridal Gowns for Athletic Brides

Some women love to be princesses. For them, getting dressed up in a formal gown with a long flowing veil and dazzling bridal jewelry is a dream come true. Sportier types of women, however, may have a hard time channeling their inner diva. The key is to find a wedding gown that makes you feel like a bride while still feeling like yourself.

Brides who are unaccustomed to wearing very fancy clothing may find that they are more comfortable in a gown with straps instead of a strapless wedding dress. Nothing is less attractive than a bride who is constantly fussing with her gown, so if you feel nervous in a strapless dress, choose a different style. V-necks are often a very good shape for a bride with strong shoulders, which many athletes have.

Another type of bridal gown to consider is the halter neckline. It can be the perfect cut to show off well-conditioned arms, shoulders, and upper back. A halter style also has a certain sportiness about it, which can make it a great fit in terms of style as well. This makes the halter bridal gown one of the most versatile options.

You accessories are an important part of your bridal ensemble. Brides who are usually more casual might feel overwhelmed by a cathedral length veil, high heels, a big tiara, and elaborate bridal jewelry. There are many simpler alternatives that will make you look polished without feeling ridiculous. Options include: a fingertip length veil, cute flat shoes or sandals, a dainty headband, and a single pearl or crystal pendant for bridal jewelry.

Athletic brides will have many wonderful features to highlight when dressing for their weddings. Choose a bridal ensemble that feels like you, not like a princess bride. As long as you seek the styles that make you feel comfortable, you will look radiant on your wedding day.

A Bride and Her Frenemies

During life’s biggest moments is when you find out who your real friends are. The good ones will be there to support you at every step of the way. A bride’s true friends will be very happy for her, and will want to do everything that they can to make her wedding even more special and enjoyable.

True friends are easy to recognize, but frenemies may not be. That is because they will pretend to be your friend, but in reality they will be sabotaging you or stabbing you in the back when you least expect it. Why would anyone behave this way? Frequently jealousy is the cause.

What are the signs that one of your pals has turned into a frenemy? A big one is that she may say things to undermine your confidence. A sour friends will often put down or question all of the decisions that you have made about your wedding. You will hear things like, “Do you actually think that a white dress is okay for you? Is that really the jewelry that you are going to wear for your wedding? Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you are having your wedding there!”.

Not all frenemies show their true colors with words. Sometimes they are more passive-aggressive. If you are unfortunate enough to have one in your bridal party, she may do small things to sabotage your wedding. This will be the bridesmaid who never shows up for the fittings for her bridesmaid dress or is late for the rehearsal. A jealous friend may also do things to try to steal attention away from the bride.

Every bride deserves to have friends who are supportive and make her wedding a pleasure. Be sure that the women in your inner circle fit the bill. And if you find one that does not, do your best to cut the frenemy out of your life!