Traditions are meant to be broken

Not every tradition has to be kept on your wedding day. Here are some new ways to change things up, I found this on theknot.com...

You Must Wear A White Wedding Dress

It can still be white or ivory, but don’t be afraid to add a pop of color with a sash, cardigan, pair of shoes or piece of jewelry. Truly brave? Champagne, blush and nude dresses are huge right now, adding an understated uniqueness to the ensemble.

You Must Wear a White Veil That Covers Your Face

Don't hide that gorgeous face! Break away from the outdated standard with a chic headband, a fabulous feather fascinator or a few sparkly hair clips. Or you could just leave your hair down with nothing in it at all (you rebel, you!).

You Must Walk Down the Aisle to The Wedding March

Have the DJ play your favorite love song or a Caribbean steel-drum melody. Book a jazz cellist or a two-piece band to play an instrumental version of a rock song that's special to your relationship. Anything from The Beatles to The Shins will do!

You Should Never See the Groom Before the Ceremony

Schedule a "first look" photo shoot (you and your groom meet with just the photographer before the ceremony). This frees up more time after the ceremony so you can actually enjoy your cocktail hour, and it also lets you spend a few precious moments with your soon-to-be spouse before all the wedding craziness sets in. (Trust us; it will!)

Your Bridesmaids Need To Wear The Same Color and Cut

Let your girls' individual personalities shine by having each one pick a dress that suits her own taste and shape (but perhaps all in the same fabric or color). Or let them personalize their look with accessories like funky jewelry, boleros or patterned tights.

Flower girl book

When I got married my little flower girl had a lot of questions about what being a flower girl meant, and what she would have to do.

So, I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a flower girl book. They have a few different options and it really seemed to help her understand the importance of her title.

It's a really cute gift to give her, and is something the two of you can share together.

Include a timeline in your invitation

Here's a unique way to let your guests know the timeline of the night.

I found this in The Knot, Jersey Shore addition.

Wedding Insurance

Did you know that there is such a thing as... wedding insurance? Go ahead and search for it. In the event that there is a major weather storm, an issue with vendors not showing, or an unforeseen incident on your big day, then this might be worth it! Its actually a lot less than expensive than I thought too. 

Who Runs My Wedding?

A lot of brides assume their sales person will be running their wedding & in most cases this isn't true. Most venues have a "Banquet Sales" person, and then a "Maitre D'" or "Banquet Manager". The sales person is in charge of booking your wedding, and helping you through the planning process until the week of your big day. At that point that Maitre D or Banquet Manager will meet with you when you drop off your wedding decor, help you through the rehearsal, and especially be there for your wedding day. 
If you have the option to meet the Maitre D early on you can ask them more detailed questions about the operations of your wedding. Find out how your venue runs early on so you can plan ahead!

Wedding Photo's

Make sure when you are searching for the perfect photographer that you really do your research. Take friends advice and and look at reviews online before booking. 

Make a list of "Must Have Photo's" and "Do Not Take Photo's". 

I regret not making sure I had photo's done with my grandparents, I just assumed the photographer would know to take them. And, if your parents are divorced you want to make sure your photographer doesn't awkwardly put them next to each other. 

Before the wedding you'll meet with your photographer and go over all of the details about your wedding, but its also best to have it written down for them too. 

They meet with tons of brides and may get family history's confused between appointments. 

Dress Shopping

Don't go into your appointment thinking you know exactly what you want. 

Try on all different shapes, colors and styles. Magazine's use stick figure models to show off their dresses, you need to understand your body and realize that  a mermaid style does not fit every body shape. 

Also, white may not be the best color on you! Try off white, antique white, light pink etc. until the right shade of what looks good on you too.

Happy Halloween

I have to say that I was disappointed that none of my brides this weekend embraced the halloween theme into their wedding!

Recently,  I was talking to a friend about halloween weekend weddings, and we both agreed that if you get married on this weekend you should completely go with the theme! 

How fun would it be to go to a wedding where everyone had to dress in a full blown halloween costume? Ladies always go out and spend money on a new dress, why not go all out on a crazy costume? 

I think that if you choose to get married on a  holiday weekend, you should do your best to incorporate it... have fun with it!

Have a fun & safe Halloween everyone!

Seasonal Wedding Dresses

When dress shopping, you need to factor what season  your wedding will be in. A strapless loose fitting and flowing fabric will look ridiculous in November. Just as a silk & tulle ball gown  looks ridiculous in the July. 

When you're about to "Say Yes To The Dress" make sure you'll look appropriate. 

Wet Sand = Not helpful!

Sand is a popular prop for weddings. 

If you are using sand to hold up place cards, or any sort of paper product 

MAKE SURE IT IS DRY SAND! 

On more than one occasion I have had grooms drop off a bag of sand from Home Depot. 

The bags does state that it is dry sand made for sandboxes, 

but its usually very moist still from packaging. 

Save yourself money and go to the beach and pick up sand that is furthest from the water, dry it out over the weekend just to be safe too! 

If the sand is wet it will ruin your paper products!!

Wishing Tree

This couple chose a new approach to the guest book. 

Guests signed pieces of paper and attached to the branches. 

By the end of the night it was filled with different opinions on love, life and family. 

Very beautiful! 

Neat idea for your envelopes

Buy a large, deep picture frame and fill it with rocks so that the cards can easily stand up. 

Much prettier than a box!

Include your furry friend in your wedding, tastefully

My dog is my life, she's licking the screen of my computer as I write this post!

A neat way to include your furry friend in your wedding day 

is to name your signature drink after them! 

Include the ingredients of your drink on a sign along with your pets name and picture. 

It will definitely get an "awww" effect.

Origami Menu Cards

This bride went on Etsy.com to find the most creative menu card yet! 

Each flap and the options for all 3 courses and their thank you to their guests.

The bottom picture shows the table set for the night, the menu cards are located on the bread & butter plate.

GIANTS fans

This couple loved the GIANTS so much that their uplighting was Red & Blue.

Understanding your wedding timeline

Weddings typically go as follows...

1/2 hour Ceremony (if at the venue)

1 hour for cocktail hour

4 hour reception

5 1/2 hours to make all your dreams come true. 

The purpose of this post is to help make all the B&G's out there make the right decision with their food courses.

In my personal opinion, I go to weddings for the amazing cocktail hour and then to dance my butt off. I am not impressed with 4 courses of food, because that takes away from prime dancing time... but I also understand that not every family or bride agrees with that.

Here is an example of a 4 course + dessert wedding dinner timeline...

7:00 - 7:20 - Seat guests and line bridal party up for introductions

7:20 - 7:45 - Introductions, B&G 1st dance, parents dances, and toasts

7:50 - 1st course (usually pasta)

8:10 - 2nd course (usually salad)

8:30 - 3rd course (intermezzo)

8:50 - 4th course (main entree)

**You've only got 2 hours left of your wedding at this point**

9:00-10:00 - Dance

10:00 - 10:15 Cake cutting, garter, bouquet toss

10:15 - Cake is served and any other dessert station you have is put out

10:15-11:00 Dance


The times can obviously fluctuate, but each course typically takes 20 min. Depending on how many guests you have it can take longer too. These times are based off of 120-160 people. Once you hit 180-200+ guests the course take much longer. 


This post isn't meant to take away from fabulous high end wedding courses... its meant to make you think about what is more important to you, and realize that more course means more time. 


People will warn you that your wedding day will fly by... make sure that your 5 1/2 hour window is everything you want it to be!

Seating chart

One of the most difficult parts about planning a wedding is doing the seating chart. 

It can cause major family drama if you don't seat everyone properly!

A great website to help you with you seating needs is http://fluidtables.com/.  

Upload your guests names and move them to tables at your leisure. 

You can also print your guests names alphabetically or by table number. 

(You should always give your venue a copy of both that way if there are seating issues the day of they have something to refer too.)

Ballerina party

 

If I were 8 years old again I would love to have a party that looked like this! 

Adding tulle around a table is so simple and elegant.  

Candy Bar Setups

Candy bars are all the rage this summer. 

If you are going to have one, make sure you prepare and organize properly. 

1. Make a diagram or take a picture of how you want the station to be setup

2. Number each jar that will be used, using a post-it

3. Number each bag of candy, using a post-it, so that it corresponds with the glass jar you want it placed into

Now your venue will know how to set it up properly!

Its better to give too much information than not enough. 

Why the traditions?

The rhyme dates back to the time of Queen Victoria and is often quoted "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe." 

Something old: Represents continuity with the bride's family and the past, usually a ring or a piece of jewelery that has been passed down through the family from generation to generation.

Something new: The wearing of something new shows the bride is looking to the future of her marriage. This could be the wedding dress or the lingerie worn under the dress.

Something borrowed: a token borrowed from a happily married friend or relative in the hope that some of their happiness and good luck will be transferred to the new couple. A piece of jewelery is usually borrowed for the big day.

Something blue: The color blue is believed to come from the Virgin Mary, who is often portrayed in a blue robe, blue is a symbol of purity, most often the something blue is the garter the bride wears.

A silver sixpence in her shoe: A Scottish tradition that actually started with the groom putting a sixpence in his shoe to represent financial security and future wealth. The custom these days though is for the bride to have the sixpence in her shoe.