round robin

Things have been quiet on the wedding front lately…as I’m sure you can tell. This lull in wedding festivities has given me the opportunity to pursue another hobby and passion…antiquing!

For the last five days or so, I have taken some time to hit the streets and “treasure hunt” as I like to call it. I’ve turned up some good finds and wouldn’t you know that it’s brought me full circle and back to weddings!

How, you ask?

You didn’t? Well, let me tell you about my wedding related finds anyway.

#1 a very fabulous 1980s Nicole Miller LBD. This is one fabulous little black dress that I will be wearing to a wedding soon. It is a stunning off the shoulder dress…everything that was good about 80s fashion in a non-overwhelming sense. Pictures soon.

#2 & #3 are vintage birdcages. Yes, for birds (not veils). These ‘tiques are going to be incorporated into future table centerpieces by featuring a floral arrangement, plant or votives in the cage…the options are pretty much endless for the bride and groom to customize these. How retro and sweet! Two down. Only about 18 more “treasures” to hunt.

Vintage Birdcage from Sassydoggs on Etsy

 
 
-The perennial bridesmaid

the plunge

When getting married, it's known as "taking the plunge" because you're plunging into marriage with another person. 

One guy close to me took this idiom quite literally... 

After his wedding, him and his new wife honeymooned in Jamaica.  After approaching a 50 foot cliff over the White River, he decided to take the plunge and did a cannonball!  Well that wasn't adventurous enough, so he thought he was up for a massive belly flop from 50 feet above.  I know what you're thinking...

SMACK!  That's the sound his belly made when it slapped the water.  That wasn't the only impact that the belly flop made.  His brand new wedding band flew right in the river never to be seen again. 

Less than one week he had that ring.

Needless to say, his wife wanted to "ring" his neck.

Moral of the story:
Guys, lock your jewels in the safe when necessary (such as 50 foot belly flops). 
Don't do any extreme sports or work with them on.
Consider getting them insured. 
Do anything to avoid such an early loss!

-The perennial bridesmaid

happy earth day

In order to properly celebrate earth day today combined with all things wedding, I’ve put together a list of green wedding ideas…some you’ve heard of before and others that are totally original.
Consider upcycling, recycling, vintaging or eco-ing your wedding!
Hug the planet today.
Read on.


invitations

The invitation is the first impression your guests will get of your wedding.

Invite guests to your nuptials in an earth friendly manner with seedpaper that you can actually plant! I love this concept.
PulpArt on etsy

wedding & shower gifts

Off the registry but so worth it!

Pressed Flower Card. How refreshing!
JanesArt on etsy

Clever. The preserved glass bottle is being upcycled into a serving tray. And of course it is personalized with the announcement.
PJ's Glass Creations on etsy



























bridal party tokens

Trying to think of something unique to give your bridesmaids & groomsmen?  Try these eco-friendly jewelry options.

Vintage typewriter keys upcycled into cufflinks that you can personalize with letters or numbers. How original!
19Moons on etsy

Actual preserved rosebud made into a necklace. Stunning.
mcstoneworks on etsy

favors

Being a horticulturalist, I love the idea of giving your guests something that they can watch grow as their take-away. And personalize it with your day.

Seed packs for Spring Weddings.
Gift Bags By Susan on etsy

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bulbs for Fall Weddings.
Yvonne's Cat House on etsy

-The perennial bridesmaid

P.S. Don't forget to save the tissue paper & gift bags for reuse.  By far my favorite "green" thing to do!

just say no

I strongly dislike hearing wedding related stories that tear friendships apart. Planning a wedding is supposed to be fun but these things happen far more often than you may think. So much so that I’ve been involved in 3 different weddings where a bridesmaid has backed out of the wedding for one reason or another. Sometimes these reasons are justified but it always leaves the bride terribly and usually unnecessarily upset. And no these are not urban legends.

I’m not getting into those backing-out-bridesmaid stories today but I will tell you another story that left a bride disappointed. Tell me, was the bride overreacting?

Here goes…the bride requested that a friend who lived out of town read at her wedding. The out of towner agreed months in advance. She had intentions of flying to the wedding and performing her duties until just 2 weeks prior to the wedding. The reader decided that it wasn’t going to be feasible for her to make it. She told the bride this and the bride was forced to find another reader.

Sounds simple enough.

Here’s the catch. The bride hasn’t spoken to this out of town friend since she called out of her reading responsibilities – nearly a year ago. Who was wrong here? You would think that the out of town reader could’ve given the bride more notice. Perhaps. But if the bride felt this friend was close enough to have her read at her wedding, you would think the friendship was worth keeping. Apparently not.

Emotions seem to get elevated when planning weddings. Remember to keep things in perspective. Your wedding is the most important day to you but unfortunately not everyone reacts the same way. If it is worth retaining the friendship, you two will work it out. If not, then it was never meant to be and she did you a favor by dropping out of your bridal party or not flying in to read at your wedding. Ask dependable people to be a part of your special day.

And on the other hand, if you are asked to take on a responsibility at a friend’s wedding that you don’t think you can handle, just say no! Easier said than done, sure. But you will most likely keep the friendship if you are honest upfront.

Sorry for a somber post today but I have just been hearing so many dramatic stories like this lately and they suck!

-The perennial bridesmaid

maid of mom

I’ve noticed an increasingly popular trend – moms as bridesmaids. Endearing. It really is. I only have one thing to say about it.

PLEASE DON’T HAVE HER WEAR A BRIDESMAID DRESS.

Is that too much to ask?

If you’ve worn a bridesmaid dress, you probably know what I’m talking about. They’re suitable for a 20, 30 and even 40 year old but the pastel, strapless tea length gown is not the best look for your middle aged mom. Not saying she can’t pull off the sweetheart top but, come on, she is the mother of the bride as well. Give her the option to wear a tasteful evening gown that coordinates with the other girls. Heck, give the other bridesmaids a tasteful evening gown too.

It makes sense to choose your mom as maid of honor. Now you don’t have to play favorites with your best gal pals. If you pick your mom, no hard feelings.

Overall, mom can play the mother of the bride role as well as bridesmaid or maid of honor to you. Just have her wear the mother of the bride dress!

-The perennial bridesmaid

say cheese

Last weekend alone, 3 couples I know got their engagement photos taken. Do you really need these pictures taken?

YES!

Think of it as a dry run for your wedding day. Of course you won’t be wearing the big white dress for engagement photos but it will give you the opportunity to get to know your photographer. More importantly, it will give you the opportunity to get to know your photographer’s order giving abilities. After all, he or she will be directing you to smile. Don’t smile. Look this way. Head up. Look down. Kiss. Don’t kiss. Look at each other. Smile. Now don’t smile. Hand over here. Look away. Kiss…you get the idea!

Most photographers offer engagement photos as part of their wedding package. Even if you don’t plan to order these pics, do it for the dry run aspect.

Other reasons to go for the engagement photos…

• You’re getting a make-up trial done, aren’t you? Why let that pretty done up face go to waste? Consider scheduling your professional make-up trial and your engagement photo shoot on the same day.
• Save-the-dates – if you decided yes on sending these out you can use your professional engagement photos for the magnet or whatever it is you’re sending to your guests to the save the coveted date.
• Are you having a destination wedding? Or simply a wedding that is not in your own neighborhood. Engagement photo shoots broaden the scenery more than your wedding venue may allow. For example, if you live in the city but you’re getting married at the beach, you’ll probably never have professional pictures as a couple that represent your everyday lifestyle. So venture out in your own ‘hood with the photog in toe capturing your “normal” selves. Sometimes these can be the best pictures! 
• Get to know yourself. When was the last time you were professionally photographed anyway? Senior portraits…just as I suspected. You think you know your “good side”? It may have changed since 1997!
• Find out if your face really does get sore from all that smiling.

-The perennial bridesmaid

you’re a gem

It seems like engagement season stretched beyond Valentine’s Day and over to Spring this year because the bling just keeps on blinging. I open an email or text almost weekly with the subject line “THE RING”. It usually consists of a forwarded picture of an aerial view of someone’s glimmering left hand. You know what I am talking about. I’m sure you sent it too.

One ring is more unique than the next. We’ve come a long way from the diamond solitaire on the gold band. The options are pretty much endless.

Sapphires and Rubies and Emeralds. Oh my!

That’s right. Many couples have been opting for gemstones other than just diamonds. This a logical concept considering many of these stones are actually more valuable than a diamond. The other stones are typically selected due to preference.

I’ve seen the sapphire as the focal point accented by diamonds and I’ve seen the diamond as the main event with rubies to complement. And that's just this week! Get on the ring fwd email chain and you will too.

While we’re talking engagement rings, let’s talk salary. Ahem, too personal?

Did you ever hear that the guy has to spend 2-3 months of his salary on his future wife’s engagement ring? I have and I was curious who wrote that rule. Guess who? This answer seems so obvious that I can’t believe I didn’t realize it before. A jeweler spread this piece of “etiquette” around literally 100 years ago. It was simply a marketing ploy for the diamond industry that stuck. Let’s toss that rule out the window.

Spend what you will on whatever gem you want just make sure it suits your lady.

-The perennial bridesmaid

something blue

Something old, Something new,
Something borrowed, Something blue.
And a sixpence in her shoe.

You’ve heard it before but what the hell is a sixpence? That just goes to show how old this poem is since a sixpence coin has been out of commission in England for centuries. Outdated or not, this poem seems to still stand out as a bridal tradition meant to promote good luck and happiness in the marriage.

I got some blogspiration to chat about something blue specifically. (That’s inspiration to blog NOT perspiration to blog.) My friend is contemplating what her something blue should be and wanted a few ideas. The bride’s blue is meant to symbolize purity and fidelity so you’d better have it on! Apparently, back in the Victorian day, some wedding dresses were even blue.

While it is traditional that the something blue is actually ON the bride, I say you can stretch it a little further to something that is WITH the bride during the wedding day such as your wedding flowers or your purse. The delphinium is a great blue accent flower that can subtly be added into your bridal bouquet or opt for blue ribbon on your bouquet.

A very popular something blue right now is the bride’s shoes. Better be something fabulous too!

Other blue accessories might include the bride’s jewelry. Some drop earrings with dazzling blue crystals or sapphires sound nice to me. Bracelet or necklace will do the trick too.  A daring accessory in blue but also stunning could be a shrug or bolero for a chilly evening.

Of course there’s the traditional garter which is screaming 1993 to me but who I am to judge. Rock out with that elastic blue thing on your thigh if you want. If the garter isn’t your style but you want a discrete something blue, go for blue undies. Most wedding gowns have so many layers that your panties won’t show through the light fabric.

Blue ribbon in your hair is also a way old school tradition but you may consider upgrading it with a blue flower, fascinator or headband.  There are literally hundreds of options of incorporating subtle blue into your hair.

Enough from me. Check out fun “something blue” options from my oh-so favorite etsy.

-The perennial bridesmaid


blue clutch by cadybriar

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
blue drop earrings by OtisB

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



blue shoes by tractordog

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
blue hair fascinator by sophinegiam

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
blue bolero by TianaCHE

great debate

Ok so it’s not so great of a debate but here’s where I am…

2 weddings
2 months in a row
12 miles from home
1 hotel

Do I book a room in the wedding room blocks in this hotel and continue onto the wedding after parties? Or do I go home since it’s so close anyway?

I suppose I could compromise (with myself because that’s the only person arguing here) and stay over for just one.

To stay or to go?

-The perennial bridesmaid

rock 'n roll

I've received an invitation to a rockabilly themed wedding.  Hmm, rockabilly.  The invitation defines it as a subculture of style & music heavily influenced by the 1950's.  It consists of dressing and grooming in vintage/pin-up styles. 

So I ponder. What to wear? What to wear?

Although I think I have a few options in my closet that will suffice, I am feeling the challenge of finding an authentic vintage piece...because  I do love vintage as I'm sure I've mentioned.

Naturally I took to etsy for some inspiration.  Here are the options I am considering.  Your votes are welcome.
-The perennial bridesmaid

Pretty in Pink Dress by melsvanity























Yellow Couture Cocktail Dress by TimelssVixenVintage

Polka Dot Rockabilly Halter Dress by calicovintage

Fired Red Party Dress by jumblelaya

Navy Dress with Stripes & Lace by KMalinka