Stylish Solutions for Wedding Day Rain

No matter how many times we hear that it is good luck, no bride actually hopes for rain on her wedding day. Weather is one of those things that you can’t control, so you had might as well go with the flow and make the best of it. These are some stylish solutions for dealing with rain on your wedding day.

If rain is in the forecast, the number one priority is to keep everyone dry. The beauty of the bride’s wedding gown and bridal jewelry will surely be diminished if she looks like a drowned rat, after all! Your guests will not exactly be delighted to sit through a long wedding in soaking wet clothes either, so shelter is the key. When planning an outdoor wedding, it is a really smart investment to have a tent. Should the forecast call for rain the week of the wedding, have your tent vendor add sides to the tent and a floor to cover wet and muddy ground. A very beautiful way to celebrate the weather is to choose a clear top tent. The sensation of seeing the rain but remaining dry is quite wonderful.

Another way that you can make inclement weather more bearable for your wedding guests is to make arrangements for valet parking. This will spare them a long walk between parking lot and venue, which is especially important if yours is a formal wedding and women will be wearing long dresses. Be sure that the valets know that you will be handling the tipping and that they are not to accept gratuities from guests. And do tip generously; working outdoors in the rain definitely merits a bonus.

Finally, do your best to embrace rain, should it happen on your wedding day. Some of the most spectacular photos ever taken of brides and grooms have been of the newlyweds in the rain (there is something about being wet that just says “passion”). If you take what comes with good cheer, you can be sure that your guests will also remain upbeat, no matter what Mother Nature decides to throw at you. As they say, let a smile be your umbrella. And as for the guests, you can provide their umbrellas – oversized golf umbrellas carried by ushers, to be exact.

Creating a Modern Wedding Registry

These days, bridal registries go way beyond the department store. You can register for almost everything, from electronics to your wedding jewelry  to your honeymoon. With registries scattered so far and wide, it can get hard for your guests to find them, which is why it is smart to include links to your lists on your wedding website. Never include registry details in a wedding or shower invitation, as that is considered to be quite rude. Limit yourself to two or three places maximum; anything more can come across as greedy, even if that is not your intention.

Every home needs beautiful things to fill it. While china might not suit your lifestyle, a great set of handmade pottery might be just the thing. This is your chance to upgrade the cheap chipped plates you have been using since college with something more durable and stylish. Or perhaps a set of dishes designed by a modern artist is your taste. Cool and unique place settings can be found at stores ranging from traditional department stores to discount shops to upscale home boutiques. If you opt for a store which is local rather than a chain, be sure that it will be easy for your out-of-town guests to order from them, lest your wish list sit unfulfilled.

Barware is a key component of many modern wedding registries. People love to give wedding gifts which are festive, so anything that can be used for entertaining is very likely to be purchased from your list. Request cocktail shakers and tools, stylish ice buckets, wine coasters, and heavy glasses. Both short and tall cocktail glasses are a must (also called old fashioned and highball glasses), as are red and white wine glasses. You will likely want a set of martini glasses for your bar, and possibly other specialty glasses like snifters, cordials, and dacquiri glasses. Stemless wine glasses such as those made by Riedel strike the perfect balance between modern form and timeless quality. When selecting barware, always consider the feel of the glass as well as its appearance. Heavier glass or crystal pieces will be more costly in the beginning, but will prove to be far more durable over the years.

Finally, don’t be afraid to think outside the box for your modern wedding registry. Why not ask for a piece of art or a very cool modern chair from an artist’s gallery? You may or may not receive some of the less traditional items from your list, but if nothing else it will give your guests a sense of your taste to help them select something that you will be delighted to receive. If that is all that happens, your registry will have done its job well.

Wedding Cake Flavors

Naturally the best flavor for your wedding cake is your favorite one. At the same time, it is helpful to keep the style of the wedding in mind and to try to select a dessert which complements it. The most traditional flavor is the classic white buttercream cake. If you are a fan of traditional wedding elements like roses, lace, and pearl earrings, this would be an ideal cake for your reception. You can always think about adding a layer of jam or cream to your white cake. Flavored buttercream, such as raspberry or mocha, will be delicious yet subtle. A jam or fresh fruit filling (lemon curd, anyone?) will be bolder in taste.

Chocolate is another top flavor for wedding cakes. Rich dark chocolate is definitely a top choice when the groom has a vote, and many brides like it as well. It is particularly good for a fall or winter cake, as the sweet ending to a rich meal. Frost it with chocolate icing for a doubly good taste. In the summer, an all chocolate confection can seem a bit heavy; if that is your flavor of choice, use a lighter white frosting to tone down the richness a bit. Not that anyone is going to complain about a chocolate cake, no matter what the season!

Fruit flavors can be light and refreshing for warm weather receptions. Try a lemon-infused confection for a July wedding. Or choose a tart and lively key lime flavor, which would be especially great for a Florida event. To infuse your cake with a tropical flair, choose a coconut frosting over key lime – you can bet that everyone will be coming back for seconds! Shaved coconut will look great as the main cake decoration.

Red velvet is fast becoming a favorite of brides and grooms. It is especially popular with Southern brides, as a nod to their roots, but it is also loved by couples nationwide for the signature red hue. A sweet moist flavor with a bit of cocoa, this is a great option for any time of the year. In the spring or summer, choose a white buttercream frosting or go with a rich chocolate frosting in the fall to enhance the cocoa in the cake. The best part about choosing your wedding cake is that in the end, there is no real wrong answer – after all, everyone loves cake!

Choosing a Wedding Officiant

Naturally, if the bride or groom has attended a particular church for a long time, it makes sense to have their priest, rabbi, or minister as the wedding officiant. This is especially true if the bride or groom has some sort of relationship with their minister; it is always obvious during a wedding if the officiant knows the couple personally, and it adds tremendously to the beauty of the ceremony. It is always lovely to hear the pastor talking about the bride and groom and their life together in a way that is specific, rather than merely generic.

On the other hand, it is sort of sad to see the bride up at the altar in her gorgeous gown and spectacular wedding jewelry waiting to say the most important words of her life “(“I do”) and the officiant mispronounces her name. No matter how great she looks in her gown and jewelry, this is a cringe-worthy moment at a wedding. This is why it is far better to be married by your own clergyman, even if it means having the ceremony in a church which is not the most convenient location or the most grand. Better to move the reception, if it means having an officiant who knows you well.

In some cases, the bride and groom will opt to have a secular officiant for their ceremony. It might be that neither is particularly religious, they may not agree on religious denomination and choose to have a neutral wedding, or it may be that they want to get married in a setting for which they cannot have their usual clergyman present. Most Catholics, for instance, will have to get married in a church if they want to have a priest preside over the service; if an outdoor ceremony is the Catholic bride’s wish, it may be necessary to find a justice of the peace.

Another option is to have a close friend or family member certified to be a legal officiant. The rules and laws vary by state, so don’t just assume that your best friend can send away to become a mail-order minister the month before the wedding. Remember that even if it is not feasible for your preferred officiant to become legal to marry you, they can share the role with a justice of the peace who can make the marriage official. That can be a great solution which allows you to have the personal touch of a dear friend helping to marry you while still ensuring that everything will be legal in your home state.

Spring Wedding Accessories

Spring is such a romantic season for a wedding. There is no better way to accent the bridal party than with lovely spring-inspired details. From jewelry to shoes to more, these are some marvelous ideas for spring wedding accessories.

Nothing says spring more than flowers! A beautiful look would be to take a large organza blossom and pin it to the waistline of the bridal gown or bridesmaid dresses. If you want to give it added dimension, choose a fabric flower which has pearl beads in the center, a feather peeking out from the back, or both. The bride can choose an organza blossom to match her gown color, and for the bridesmaids, think about selecting a contrasting hue for a pop of color. Having a special detail on the waist of a gown is a very fresh and current trend.

Flowers can also be lovely accents for the hair. Fresh flowers are notorious for wilting, however, so consider selecting a jeweled floral accent instead. A set of hairpins which is handcrafted from sparkling Swarovski crystals or graceful freshwater pearls makes delightful hair jewelry for both the bride and her attendants. To find a place which offers this type of style, visit the Silverland Jewelry store in Raleigh (if you cannot go to their Raleigh jewelry store, they can always ship directly to your home). What a sweet finishing touch for the brides-to-be and her bridesmaids!

Butterflies are a classic sign of spring, and can be a wonderful seasonal accessory. Swarovski crystal butterflies are positively charming fluttering on a pair of drop earrings. Or choose shoes with a colorful crystal butterfly brooch on the toe. Another fun idea is to find beautifully made silk or feather butterflies in barely-there pinks or yellows and stitch them onto the wedding gown (they would be very pretty on the back of a sash). That will surely send the message that spring has arrived, just in time for your nuptials!

Make Your Maid of Honor Special

The maid of honor is a very important part of a wedding. She is the top honor attendant, and as such is often dressed or accessorized in a way that sets her apart from the rest of the bridal party. These are some ways to make your honor extra special for your wedding.

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to distinguish your maid of honor is by selecting special attire for her. If the rest of your bridesmaids will be wearing the same dress, select one for your maid of honor which is similar, but not the same. For instance, your bridesmaids could wear an A-line dress and your maid of honor could wear the same style and color with a fuller skirt. Or keep the cut of the skirt the same, but choose a different neckline for your best girl. If the bridal party wears strapless gowns, your honor attendant can be clad in a beautiful portrait neckline dress to set her apart.

It is customary for the bride to give her wedding party sets of bridesmaid jewelry as their wedding gifts. Part of the tradition is to treat the maid of honor with a gift which is similar, but a bit more special. Let’s say that you have decided to give your attendants crystal earrings and necklaces for their bridesmaid jewelry sets; splurge on your maid of honor by treating her to the matching bracelet as well. The idea is something which is similar, but extra special, just as your head attendant is extra special.

Flowers can be another way to show the prominence of your chief bridesmaid. Typically, the bride’s bouquet will be larger and more costly than the ones she has made for her wedding party. As a way to distinguish your maid of honor, make her bouquet somewhere in between for size. You might also choose to have her flowers more similar to your own. Of course, whatever you opt to do for the ceremony, she will already be set apart in the way which matters the most: the honor of being asked to be your maid of honor.

Save on Your Wedding With Clever Substitutions

To trim expenses while still having the beautiful wedding you designed, try substituting similar, but more affordable, elements for your ceremony and reception. You can end up with a wedding that meets your every expectation, including the total budget.

Instead of this: A six tier wedding cake decorated with handmade sugar flowers, a la Silvia Weinstock.

Substitute this: A cake with a real bottom tier and upper tiers made from Styrofoam. Once the whole cake is frosted, it will be impossible to tell that the top layers are fake. Decorate with fresh flowers instead of labor intensive sugar blossoms to save even more money.

Instead of this: A stack of diamond bracelets from Harry Winston (sorry, girls, they only let you borrow them if you are a movie star headed for the Academy Awards!).

Substitute this: A stack of sparkling Swarovski crystal bracelets. The Swarovski crystal bracelets will be glamorous and sparkly, yet won’t cost as much as a down payment on a house.

Instead of this: Custom letterpress wedding invitations, save-the-date cards, and thank you notes with your monogram on them.

Substitute this: Imprintable wedding stationery with a letterpress motif, such as a flower or a bird. The paper will have a lovely letterpress design on it, but you will save hundreds by doing the printing of the words yourself on a high quality home printer. There are a huge number of beautiful letterpress imprintable invitations from which you can order, both online and through traditional stationers.

Should the Mother of the Bride Be Her Mom-of-Honor?

Without a doubt, being asked to be the maid or matron of honor in a wedding is a major compliment. After all, it is the bride’s way of saying that you are one of the most special and trusted people in her life. If the bride’s mom is the woman with whom she has the strongest bond, she may well wish to elevate her role in the wedding ceremony from simply mother of the bride to “mom-of-honor”.

Having a mom-of-honor tends to work very well when the wedding party is small. If the bride has only one person standing up with her, it is lovely for it to be her mom. In fact, while having one’s mother as the chief honor attendant is fairly rare, it is actually rather common for the groom to choose his father as the best man. When your mom is the only honor attendant, it makes things simple. She can select any dress she likes, pick out sophisticated bridesmaid jewelry, and choose between a bouquet and a corsage.

However, if you plan on having a large group of bridesmaids, it can be a little awkward to have your mother double as the maid of honor. This is not to say that you should not do it; just be sure to think through the logistics carefully beforehand. If your idea of the role of the wedding party is essentially to show up and look pretty for the ceremony, there should be no problem with having your mother in the group. On the other hand, brides who picture their engagement as including a bachelorette weekend in Vegas and a couple of last wild girls’ nights out might feel a bit funny about having their mothers along for the ride. Certainly, you could exclude her from events which are geared towards your contemporaries, but generally speaking, any wedding-related event should include your whole bridal party (well, except for the flower girl). Just be certain that you would be comfortable either omitting these types of events or having them without a maid of honor present.

When the bride’s mother is the matron of honor, she should coordinate with the other bridesmaids, but still dress appropriately for her age and important status. It actually is not so hard to pull this off gracefully, because even when all the bridesmaids wear the same dress, it is quite common to have the maid of honor dress in a way that distinguishes her key role. Select a dress for your mother in the same color and fabric as the younger ladies, but allow her to select a style that is comfortable for her. As for the bridesmaid jewelry gifts, it is customary to give the honor attendant something more elaborate than the rest of the group, so don’t worry about matching the gift for your mom to those of the other bridesmaids. Simply pick out something that you know she will like.

Pick the Perfect Wedding Gown Shape for Your Shape

Column or Sheath: This is the most narrow wedding gown silhouette, and accordingly it is best suited to brides who are slender. Column gowns often feature empire waists which hit just under the bustline, with straight skirts which go straight down without a flare. Sheath dresses tend to be made of more clingy fabrics than column gowns and are the sexiest of all the wedding dress silhouettes. Both shapes are very flattering for petite brides, as they are elongating. Brides who are pear shaped or top heavy would be wise to choose a different style.

A-line: The A-line gown is extremely flattering to virtually every figure. The A-line refers to the shape of the skirt, which is of a medium fullness, and has a silhouette which resembles the letter A: nipped in at the waist, gently flared over the hips, and fuller at the hemline. A-line skirts can be paired with natural waists or drop waists, which adds to their versatility. They are a great choice for pear shaped brides, petite brides, tall brides (especially with a drop waist), and any bride who wants a gown which has some fullness, but not too much.

Ballgown: The ballgown is the most traditional and the fullest of the wedding gown shapes. They generally feature very fitted bodices and very full skirts. The skirt will be supported by a petticoat or crinoline and is magnificent for a formal wedding. The full cut of a ballgown skirt may be created by gathering or pleating at the top of the skirt to increase the fullness. Wonderful for a fairy princess style wedding, the ballgown is ideal for brides who love to dress up with lots of crystal bridal jewelry and long veils. On the other hand, if your wedding is less formal, this can simply be too much dress. Petite brides should be careful about ballgowns, as they can end up being swallowed up by too much fabric.

Mermaid or Trumpet: Brides who really want to make a dramatic entrance adore the trumpet shape bridal gown. Very fitted through the bodice and into a very low dropped waist, the skirt then flares out dramatically at the low hip or just above the knee. This shape is very striking and works well with bold accessories like crystal bridal jewelry and long cascade bouquets. Tall brides with well-balanced hourglass figures can really rock a mermaid gown, but petite or pear shaped brides should steer clear of this somewhat challenging shape.

Shocking Bride Behavior

Most brides are lovely people, as pleasant to be around during their weddings as they were before they became engaged. There are those, however, who show appalling behavior, selfishness, or greed, all with the excuse that they are the brides and the wedding is all about them. Take a look at this shocking bride behavior, and let it be a gentle reminder that the most beautiful brides are those who act beautifully as well.

One of the ugliest things a bride can do is to allow herself to become overwhelmed with greed. It is actually something that almost any bride can fall victim to. Think about it: when you are the bride-to-be, you receive all sorts of marvelous gifts, like bridal shower presents, wedding gifts, and maybe everything you need for the wedding itself, from your bridal gown and jewelry to a dream honeymoon. With all these great stuff coming their way for months, some brides forget that the whole point of a wedding is to get married, not to milk the occasion for as much free stuff as possible. A sure sign that a bride has crossed the line is when she starts demanding cash gifts or requires that people throw parties in her honor so that she can score more loot.

Another bit of shocking bride behavior is the woman who dresses in too seductive a fashion for a church wedding. Remember that the bride should impress with her radiance, not her decolletage. Out of respect for your church, if not your guests, wear an appropriately demure bridal gown for your wedding ceremony. And remember this, attention-seeking brides: as the bride, you are automatically the center of attention – it is not necessary to wear something scandalous to ensure that all eyes will be on you that day.

If there is one thing that is sure to shock everyone at a wedding it is when the bride gets totally drunk. A few glasses of Champagne is one thing, but no bride needs to get falling down wasted on her wedding day. It leads to all sorts of embarrassing incidents, from too-frank speeches, to overly sexy group dances with bridesmaids (hello, You Tube!), to tripping and falling. One thing is certain: if the bride gets completely intoxicated and makes a fool of herself at the reception, it is all that anyone will remember about her wedding.