When Illness Strikes a Wedding
You plan, and you plan, and you plan, but one thing that no bride plans for is when she or another participant in her wedding gets sick at the last minute. There is only so much that can be done to prevent illness, so it is good to think about what you would do in case something happens at the last minute. A contingency plan for illness is like all of the others that you make for your wedding: chances are that you will never need them, but if you do, you will sure be glad to have a plan in place.
One of the funniest scenes in the classic movie “Sixteen Candles” is when the bride gets an early call from her “monthly visitor”, and is afflicted with horrible cramps on the morning of the wedding. In an effort to feel better, she takes way too many muscle relaxers, and can barely make it down the aisle. It was hilarious in a movie, but probably not a scene that any bride hopes to re-enact at her own wedding! The lesson is that when taking any medicine on the day of your wedding, more is less.
Sometimes illness or injury is more dramatic. We have all heard the stories about the groom who gets into a car accident on the way to the wedding and breaks his leg. The bride and close family members then gather around his hospital bed for a quick wedding service, with the groom in a hospital gown, and the bride still in her fancy gown, wedding jewelry, and veil. Not exactly what they had imagined, but at least they are able to get married on the day they had planned.
There are times when a serious illness strikes the bride, groom, or a close family member shortly before the wedding. In those situations, the couple will have to decide whether they should get married as planned, postpone the wedding, or in some cases, move it up. The third option is usually only chosen if the afflicted person is not expected to recover. In that case, a scaled down wedding should be held (close family only), so that the loved one can be in attendance.
No one wants to think about illness affecting their wedding, and the great news is that you probably will never have to. It never hurts to be prepared though, and knowing your options in advance is always useful. Hopefully, as you walk down the aisle on your wedding day, it will be in good spirits and perfect health!
Filed under Uncategorized, Wedding Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: wedding etiquette, Wedding Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Comment (0)Inexpensive Decorations for Holiday Weddings
One of the best things about planning a holiday wedding is that there are so many beautiful options for décor. Unlike at other times of the year, every store is filled to the brim with decorations that fit the theme of your wedding – think about how lucky you are! As Christmas draws near (and especially after Christmas for those planning a wedding for next year), you will find that many fantastic items are on sale, and you can put together a big look for only a little money.
A great place to start is with tiny white lights. They can be used to decorate potted trees, in centerpieces, draped from the ceiling – there is almost no area that can’t be made more festive with twinkling white lights. Before you rush out and buy them, ask around: your friends and family probably have tons of white Christmas lights that you can borrow for your wedding. How great would it be to get such a beautiful design element without spending a dime?
Simple Christmas ornaments can also be a nice way to decorate for a holiday wedding. To keep your wedding from looking like a Christmas party, avoid using red and green ornaments together. Instead create color combinations like red and gold or green and silver. Silver and gold also look very elegant when paired together. The basic round ball ornaments can be used to decorate in a variety of ways. One of the simplest things you can do is to fill tall glass cylinders or hurricane lanterns with round ornaments in a few sizes. It couldn’t be easier, but it creates a beautiful and chic centerpiece. Fill it out by surrounding it with a boxwood table wreath and glowing white candles.
If you are into sparkle and shine, there are lots of fun things you can get to decorate for a holiday wedding on a budget. Brides who love the look of dazzling crystal bridal jewelry can create a magical crystal-filled reception room using crystal or glass snowflake and star ornaments suspended from the ceiling. The aforementioned white lights will reflect like crystal bridal jewelry dangling from the ceiling of your venue. It would be fabulous for a New Year’s Eve wedding!
Holiday weddings are fun for so many reasons, and the great décor of the season is certainly one of them. If you take the time to shop around, and borrow what you can from friends and family, you will be able to get a stunning look very inexpensively. Which is great news – then you can splurge on an extra-special Christmas gift for your brand new husband or wife!
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, crystal bridal jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: crystal bridal jewelry, holiday weddings, wedding decor, Wedding Planning | Comment (1)Rich Brown Accents for Your Wedding
Brown is one of the richest and warmest colors. It can also be very elegant and sophisticated, without the harshness of black. Used as a main color scheme or in combination with another color, brown is a wonderful choice for a wedding color palette.
The color brown actually has many great variations. There is deep espresso, warm milk chocolate, and light mocha – that sound delicious, doesn’t it? The lighter shades of brown are lovely for an afternoon wedding, and the deeper tones are perfect for the evening.
Brown is also a color that can be used in conjunction with many other colors. For weddings, espresso brown is often added to pink or sky blue to give those colors a sophistication that they would otherwise lack. A very fresh and modern wedding palette can be created by mixing brown with lime green, and for an opulent look, try using chocolate with copper.
The bride and bridesmaids’ attire will set the tone for the wedding, so this is a good place to use your brown accents. Brown makes an excellent choice for the bridesmaid dresses. A brown dupioni or satin is gorgeous for weddings year round; for a winter wedding, indulge in luxurious chocolate velvet.
You can also have wedding jewelry handmade to coordinate as your bridesmaid gifts. Sparkling Swarovksi crystals in chocolate would make a beautiful accent to brown bridesmaid dresses. Create necklaces and earrings that combine the brown crystals with clear ones to keep the look from getting too heavy; the effect will be stunning!
Brown can be used in many additional parts of the wedding. A stunning brown flower is the chocolate cosmo, which actually has a soft chocolatey aroma. For brides who prefer white or ivory bouquets, ask your florist to tie them with a chocolate satin or velvet ribbon. The deep brown ribbon will pop nicely against the lighter color of the flowers. A brown ribbon would also work very well with a pink bouquet, for a pink and brown themed wedding.
One of the most versatile colors that you can use to decorate your wedding is brown. It is a great choice to add sophistication or to tone down a very feminine color scheme. Brown is one of those colors that can be worked into almost any wedding to great effect.
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaid Jewelry, Wedding Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: brown, crystal bridesmaid jewelry, handmade wedding jewelry, wedding decor | Comment (0)Food For a Tropical Theme Rehearsal Dinner
Everyone feels relaxed in the tropics, which is why tropical themes or luaus are so popular and so much fun. Whether you are having a warm weather wedding, and can do an outdoor rehearsal dinner, or you are having a winter time wedding, with an indoor party, a tropical theme is fun and easy to pull off. All you need is the right music, some palm trees (potted, for an indoor dinner), and some delicious food. In no time, your guests will feel like they have been transported to an island paradise.
The food will definitely add to the festive nature of your rehearsal dinner. A good place to start is with the drinks, actually. For that tropical flair, mix up favorites like dacquiris and pina coladas served in coconut shells, or in glasses garnished with paper umbrellas and pineapple chunks. Rum punch is also another island favorite to serve up for your tropical party. It would be fun to serve a beer like Red Stripe from Jamaica.
Tropical food usually involves flavors like coconut, pineapple and fresh fish. Grilled mahi-mahi is one tasty option for your main course. You can also offer island favorites like conch chowder. Forgo heavy sauces in favor of light and tangy ones. Another delicious menu is skewers on the grill. Island favorites like grilled shrimp or jerk chicken will have that perfect tropical flair.
When it comes to dessert, fresh fruit is always a good idea. You can actually grill fruit on skewers for a unique and tasty treat. Since coconut is a favorite island flavor, another dessert idea would be a coconut cake. Little rum cakes could also be nice for a winter rehearsal dinner.
Your rehearsal dinner is a great time to hand out your groomsmen gifts, if you have not done so already. The morning of the wedding is far too hectic a time to be giving the groomsmen their gifts. If you want, you can choose a gift with a tropical flair, such as an engraved silver flask with a pint of very fine rum. It would be a gift that is sure to please!
Most weddings are fairly traditional and formal affairs. That is why it is fun to have a more casual rehearsal dinner. A tropical theme is a great way to get the party started, and to ensure that a good time is had by all.
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