Sunday, September 26, 2010

Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd

Among the many important decisions a bride-to-be is faced with, none is more political or potentially dramatic than the choosing of her bridal party.  Here are some common bridal party misconceptions that will make picking your go-to –girls as easy as 1-2-7!
1.       One Two Many:
You have 3 sisters, 2 bests from high school, but 4 from college, but then he has 2 sisters, and that’s 11!  Are we throwing a pageant or a wedding here? This is the first big misconception. There are no rules as to how many bridesmaids a girl can have.  What’s important to remember here is that weddings aren’t like holidays: they’re rare, and on a day that’s this important to you, you should be able to share it with all of the people most important to you as well. Whether you have 3 or 13, don’t limit the gals who can love you.

2.       Even Steven:
Okay, if you have 4 bridesmaids, and he has 2, then that means you have 5 more months to make those two guys from the coffee shop his best friends. Sound familiar? This is another common misconception.  For years this is the way weddings were coordinated, the best man walked down the maid of honor, and the 3 groomsmen did their gentlemanly duty by walking down the three bridesmaids. But girls, here’s the deal, women can vote, drive, and run for office, so why on earth can’t they walk alone?  If you have more go-to-girls than he has bosom buddies, don’t sweat it.  You can either have your girls walk alone, or borrow an usher! And as for him having more guys, what guy is going to object to having two ladies?

3.       No Room For Rules
Bridesmaid requirements are as follows: a. if you are related to the bride or groom b. if you have known the bride longer than 5 years and c. if the bride was previously in your wedding. Sound about right? Wrong.  I cannot reiterate this enough: your wedding, your rules.  Just because you were in close in high school, or because he only has one sister, does not mean that you are required to make room for them in your party. After all, that sour sister-in-law is already going to be at every holiday, does she have to be in all of your photos as well?

Your wedding only has to be as traditional as you are, so break a few rules. The book could use a serious update anyways.

Break any bridal party pro-quos? I want to hear about them! So leave me a comment, or choose to follow my blog to hear more of my wedding do’s and don’ts.




Thursday, September 16, 2010

Photos He'll Remember

Among the many joys of being engaged, there are always a few unpleasant have-to’s that come with the ring. For many couples, engagement photos are one of those dreaded musts. And more often than not the dread is coming from the testosterone filled portion of the couple. The complaints are always the same: I’m not photogenic, I don’t have a good smile, I don’t want to pose, and of course the infamous I don’t want to dress up.
          So how do you get your fiancé to strike a pose without throwing a fit? My fiancé and I just recently took our engagement photos and I learned a few easy tips that made our e-session, extraordinary! So here they are:
1.      Dress Doesn’t Always Impress:
Your fiancé will be much less likely to loosen up and smile when he is uncomfortable. So put him in his most natural environment by letting him pick his own clothes. After all, you’re in love with those old holey jeans and hat, so dress to match and make your photos memorable.
2.      A Leading Location
When picking where to shoot your photos keep your man in mind, and widen your horizons a little. If he grew up on a farm don’t take photos between the bronze columns of city hall. Your surroundings should say something about you as a couple. They may not be incredibly unique locations, but they’re unique to who you are. Remember, the more familiar the environment, the more comfortable he’ll feel.
3.      More Room in the Opinions Section
When it comes to your photos, there are no bad ideas. Most men gladly trade in their relationship reins for a free neutral pass, which can be used on any wedding related decision. However, he may want to trade in that pass during your photos once he gets his creative man juices flowing. So instead of complaining about taking another tacky “butt-grabbing” photo, just relish in the fact that his “manly photos” lighten his mood, which enable you to take those sappy photos that really matter :)

And tell me your own engagement photo tips!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Dreaded Bridal Show

  So it's getting close to your wedding, and you're wondering, "There is a bridal show coming up, should I go, or should I sit this one out?" You will find commercial on top of commercial advertising how much bridal expos can save you on your big day. But in actuality the statistics add up to a different number altogether. Admission to the average bridal show is anywhere from 10-20 dollars a person. You may be thinking, 20 bucks isn't bad, you just won't buy that scarf you've been dreaming about. Your coat looks fine without it! But now think about this: how many brides are going to go to a show by themselves? I know I wouldn't! Of course not; you're looking at 3 bridesmaids, a sister and a mother of the bride. So that 20 dollars easily becomes 100 dollars. Now you're giving up more than a scarf, but you don't really need to pay your electric bill this month right?
  Are all bridal shows a waste of time? Absolutely not. However, bridal shows are a way for venues to advertise themselves in a more personal way. For a bride such as myself, who has her venue booked, her cake paid for, her flowers picked out, and her dress in alterations, a bridal show is a very expensive waste of a weekend. Advertisements will tell you that you're behind schedule if you haven't been to a bridal show yet , but don't be fooled! Bridal shows are actually much less popular than they were even 5 years ago. Weddings today are all things modern and the more unique the better. This to say, brides are digging deeper to get in touch with their creative sides and they're making their weddings more of an expression of themselves. Brides aren't as keen on using a Bridal Show's generic ideas if the possibility is there that Bride A. is using those same ideas.
   If you're looking to generate ideas I would suggest picking up some wedding magazines in the grocery isle. You'll spend a fraction of the cost of an expo, and you'll see a much larger variety of wedding styles and venues. And even more bold advice, if you're looking to make your wedding one of a kind: don't look around at all! It's called Impulsive planning, and in my opinion, it's the only way to guarantee a wedding that's custom made for you.
  However, for the bride that just began planning and wants to get some ideas, you'll want to pencil in some room in your weekend plans. The Second Annual Bridal Crawl is going on this Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at The Diamond Room in Springfield, Mo. They will be featuring venues such as Karl's Bridal, Celebration by Sonja, Simply Delicious, Flower Merchant, Just One More Song, Preston Dial Photography, SB Bon, Please RSVP, Bartenders in Time, The Bride's Maid, and The Pampered Chef. Admission is Free, so newly engaged brides, shop on!
  Just one word of caution to the Expo Bride: Only one bride will win that dream honeymoon to Tahiti, and nine times out of ten: There's a catch...