tish you

Last month, I went to my very first tish.

What’s a tish you ask?

So did I. The wedding invitation indicated that it was an opportunity to celebrate the bride and the groom individually before the ceremony. Bring a story. A poem. A song. Whatever. Just come to celebrate that person. This is apparently a common practice at Jewish weddings. I think it’s typical for the groom to have a tish in Jewish practice, maybe not the bride. Being that this was my first Jewish or semi-Jewish wedding, it was all Yiddish to me.

I attended the bride’s tish which began about an hour before the ceremony. Friends from near and far gathered around and told stories about the bride as a child, as an adolescent and a young adult. It was a fun hour reminiscing about how she got to that day…her wedding day. The stories were funny and sentimental.

Overall, I was tickled by my first tish.

Fast forward 4 weeks and I found myself at a rehearsal dinner for another young bride and groom who would soon be husband and wife. We went through all of the rehearsal dinner rituals…cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres , dinner and before dessert, speeches. Usually the host, or the groom’s father, says a few words about how delighted he is to welcome the daughter-in-law into the family and how she’s a great match for his son.

At this particular rehearsal dinner, the father of the groom spoke followed by a brave 10 year old who was a junior bridesmaid and the bride’s niece. She spoke about how her aunt is her favorite aunt and how happy she was for the bride.

Then it snowballed.

One person after another stood up and spoke about the couple. They told funny stories and, of course, stories about the beginning. When the couple met and how they got to the current day.

I sat back and listened.

I thought about how much I really like these impromptu speeches pre-wedding. Call it a tish. Call it a celebration. It doesn’t matter. See, the ceremony is totally scripted but these speeches are less planned and seemingly a surprise to the bride and groom. It is fun to hear so many perspectives about the bride and/or the groom in small gatherings before the actual ceremony. I even learned new facts about people that I know rather well. You never knew who will say what!

-The perennial bridesmaid

mmm, chocolate

God, I love getting chocolate as a favor. It never gets old. Don’t let anyone tell you chocolate isn’t a good favor.  The last rehearsal dinner I went to included a personalized favor. It’s nice to get a favor at the pre-wedding dinner although not a requirement.

The favor was mini Hershey bars so I was in heaven but they DIY’d a spin on the bars that made it oh-so personal. The groom’s family printed out the wedding logo on standard business labels and then wrapped each chocolate bar individually. This is an idea I never thought of before but hello! So simple. And much more cost effective than getting those customized M&M’s or customized Hershey Bar labels online. You will pay a premium for those.

The crafty ladies didn’t stop at the chocolate bar labels. They took it further to really personalize this favor. The dinner was held at a brewery and homebrew beer was one of the wedding themes so bottle cap magnets were made with the wedding logo and silly pics of the couple. Bottle caps! Clever. Again.

Here’s a pic of how they neatly packaged it all up in cellophane envelopes.

Remember, a professional wedding logo is not a requirement. You can create a monogram or use your initials and get the same effect. These favors could also be given to guests at a shower or even the wedding.

-The perennial bridesmaid

logo of love

I hope you already read yesterday’s post about the cool wedding I went to this weekend. The details were not missed. But it all began with a wedding logo.

Way back in 2009, the bride and groom commissioned a graphic artist to create this logo. It was meant to include the wedding theme colors: purple & blue and wheat or kraft. And of course it was outlined in polka dots, the primary or initial theme of the wedding. (I later learned that the tandem bike was the “secondary surprise theme”!) Also, note the 2 fonts introduced on this logo. I don't know their names but these 2 fonts were carried out on all wedding print collateral.

There you have it. The birth of a brand. Known as Leigh & Aaron 9.5.10.

Everything was branded. Well, not everything. It was done tastefully. The logo was on the invitation and all colors and polka dots were included. You may recall reviewing the invitation, if not catch up!

The logo image with omitted text was used for the table numbers as pictured yesterday. It was also used to indicate the cake flavors. Oh and also for the ‘just married’ flag. All pictured in yesterday’s post. Go see how many logos you can find...

The photobooth printed out guests’ images in real time with the logo on it! I thought this was really unique. Probably because I’m technically impaired and have no idea how they DIY’d this. It’s the little things that impress guests so think outside of the box.

Other printed materials were not branded with the logo but more so with the chosen colors and fonts. Check out a page of the program.

And the place cards that I referenced yesterday. Even if you’re not going the extra mile and branding your wedding, you can still do something informal like this for the escort cards in your own color scheme. Just hang them up on a clothesline. So simple but refreshingly different.

If you are overwhelmed by this level of wedding marketing, have no fear. You don’t have to brand everything! Perhaps you can come up with a monogram that you like. Just remember to be consistent and use it on several elements of your wedding.

Happy marketing!

-The perennial bridesmaid

in tandem

In order to recap last weekend’s wedding, I feel that I really need to summarize the bride and groom. Here are a few adjectives that describe who they are: Marketer. Hombrewer. Jewish. Natural. Crafty. Ohioan. Theatrical. Bicycler. Laid back. Original.

Keep those in mind.

Ok, now onto the wedding.

Sunday was one of those perfect September days that make you thrilled for fall but also nostalgic for summer.  Not a cloud or hint of humidity in the sky. The grounds of the John J. Audubon Center  made for an excellent natural setting. The couple crafted an original ceremony from beginning to end. It included Jewish traditions such as the huppah and the breaking of the glass as a shout out to the bride’s background. They wrote their own vows and friends read select text from the couples’ favorite poems & books. They had a custom made Ketubah, a Jewish marriage contract shown below, which mimicked a bicycle. The laid back ceremony was accented by a circle of guests seated in chairs and coordinating blankets to observe.

After the breaking of the glass by the groom, guests made their way to the unique barn for cocktail hour. We enjoyed homebrewed beer that was made with love by the groom. The place cards were hand crafted name cards that were pinned to a clothesline complete with photos of the couple on another clothesline above.

And I almost forgot the West Philly Orchestra that played throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour and part of the reception including the horah, another Jewish tradition. The sound of horns brought a little bit of soul, a little bit of funk and a lot of original entertainment to the wedding.

The reception was held in a pavilion just up a trail from the barn and adjacent to the ceremony site. It was donned in purple and wheat accents as that was the color scheme of the event.

The newlyweds made a theatrical entrance on their own tandem bike complete with a ‘just married’ flag! What a fun surprise.

The crafty details that went into this entire wedding were more than I’ve ever seen before. DIY at it’s finest! Let’s see… I mentioned the homebrew beer that was drank well into the night. Each beer had a clever name and description.  they were named for the bride and groom's families.  Even the toast was with a craft champagne beer by the brewmaster groom.

Then there was the cake display. It was actually a cake buffet of about a dozen types all made by friends. Each cake donned a little flag that stated the flavor and baker. The center cake was topped with a tandem bike which was cut by the bride and groom. I'm sorry to say that I didn't sample ANY of these because I was having too much fun on the dance floor.  How did I do this to myself again?

Then there was the homemade favors…they were a little bit of heaven in the form of chocolate and peanut butter called “buckeyes”, a shout out to the groom’s Ohioan roots. They were packaged complete with a poem by the bride about the buckeye and how it relates to the couple.

A DJ took over after a gourmet barbecue dinner and dancing ensued. For those interested in other forms of entertainment, there was a photobooth to cheese it up in, games of cornhole to play and trails of the Audubon to explore.
All and all, it was a laid back yet detail oriented event that truly captured both the bride AND groom’s personalities. These people seriously know how to throw a party!  Thank goodness I am friends with them.

Stay tuned for the next post related to the marketing that surrounded this wedding. What do I mean by that? You will see! Here’s a hint…branding.

-The perennial bridesmaid

going global

Man, I love weddings but they are seriously popping up left and right. In the last 2 weeks, 2 great friends got engaged! Yay!

The first proposal was on the back of a boat at sunset. How romantic! Having known both the guy and girl separately for years and now watching them unite forever is truly awesome!

The second proposal occurred 2 nights ago. He popped the question at the exact location of where they first met. All of their friends were in on the surprise so they were there to take pictures. Mexico 2011 here we come!

Love is in the air this weekend. On the same day, in 2 different time zones I have a couples shower and a wedding. Obviously, I can’t be in 2 places so I am attending the wedding and, yes, giving a speech! Although, I am a bridesmaid in the wedding that the shower is being held for, I will just have to be there in spirit. Bummer.

Finally, dresses. I need to pick up a bridesmaid dress this afternoon and place an order for another one for a March wedding. The collection is growing. So far, I haven’t worn the same color twice in a wedding!

Looks like I am facing 2011 head on! It is shaping up to be the biggest wedding year yet with 7-8 on the horizon so far. I'm updating the countdowns on the right as quickly as possible! There seem to be more destinations playing into these wedding themes too. That should make for some interesting posts.

Stay tuned.

-The perennial bridesmaid

baseballette

It feels a little bit like January 2nd today. I woke up still sleep deprived, slightly dehydrated and sad that the festivities are over. But it’s Monday so here I am, attempting to work and stop relishing in the fun of what went down this weekend. Clearly I am failing at that attempt so here is the recap.

The long planned and awaited baseball bachelorette party took place on Saturday. Fortunately, we had a warm and sunny August afternoon that called for, what else, but barbecue and beer? We claimed a rare shady, grassy knoll in the concrete jungle that surrounds Citizens Bank Park as our own. We set up what I like to think of as a gourmet tailgate spread complete with a fruit tray, olives, champagne, baked goods, dips, chocolate and veggie burgers.

This obviously wasn’t your boyfriend’s tailgate. It was a bachelorette party.

I do have to admit that the boys make putting a tailgate party together look quite easy. Schlepping cases of beer, keeping things cold, remembering all appropriate cooking utensils and actually grilling on the pavement can be more laborious than I ever imagined. We managed though and the fun was well worth it.

True to baseball form, we had our own 25 man roster. It was the largest bachelorette party that I’ve ever planned or attended but this goes to show the character of the bachelorette. Friends travelled up and down the east coast to make the event and some even flew cross country. In addition, all 25 had a uniform of matching tees with funny baseball puns custom designed by our resident graphic designer and assembled by another great friend of the bride. The bachelorette got to wear a special white Phillies cap donned with the inevitable tulle veil. That was the worst of the bachelorette swag.

Or perhaps the garter was.

The goal of the game was to make an appearance on the jumbotron. (Actually that is my goal at every Phillies game.) Some of our party managed to make an appearance sans the bachelorette. How bitter sweet!

Oh well, the impromptu hoola hoop dance party was fun anyway.

It truly took a team to pull off this event. The Phillies lost but the bride won everyone over!

-The perennial bridesmaid

photo courtesy: nadine friedman

icing on the cake

In an era when reality televison and cooking shows have combined to produce offspring such as Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes, it is no wonder that wedding cakes are huge again. Pun intended. Cakes don’t seem to be an area where couples cut corners, layers or tiers for that matter.

By now you have probably heard about Chelsea Clinton’s lavish wedding last weekend. Her wedding cake alone was allegedly nine tiers, 500 pounds and 4 feet tall. It took 9 people to put it together! Did I mention that it was gluten free?

My friend is having a wedding cake buffet at her September reception. This entails about a dozen friends all putting their best cake forward to offer a tasty variety for dessert. Each cake will be displayed on its own cake stand and will be neatly labeled with the type of cake and any necessary dietary info. Yum! I will be sure to sample and follow up on that cake buffet.

Another cake I’d like to feature was one that we had thought up for a bridal shower a couple of years ago. The bride was wearing a cherished pair of blue Manolo Blahnik shoes on her wedding day. (Carrie was actually wearing these in white when she married Big for you Sex & the City fans.) To make a long story short, the shoes were hard to find in the right shade of blue and size that the bride wanted. The bridal party all knew what the shoes meant to her so we decided to preview them at her shower…in cake form. She loved it! A very skilled baker put this together.

Now I’m hungry.

-The perennial bridesmaid

well rounded

Invitations come in all shapes, sizes, colors and umm, corners. The formal creamy wedding invitation with silver script seems to be going extinct. Everyone is opting for color! Custom monograms. Lace. Textured cardstock. Ribbon. You name it and I’ve probably seen it on one of our DIY assembly lines in the last year. Perhaps you've received one?

Today I am featuring one of these DIY gems because words alone just won’t do it justice!

Well let me try a few words anyway…This invitation is legal size. Tri-fold also known as gate fold. On the front “cover” is the couple’s custom logo that a phenom graphic designer friend put together for them. At first, that’s all you see until you remove the belly band. Oh you’ve never heard that term before as it applies to invitations? The belly band holds it all in the invitation, just like your spanx hold it all in for you.  This belly band is textured with polka dots.

Remove the dotted belly band and you've got yourself an invitation with details about the couple and wedding.  They opted for a totally casual phrase...no last names, no parents' names, just "together with their families".  That safely encompasses everyone that made this union possible!

Moving on to the inside...brace yourself for inserts, maps, details, pockets, response cards and tons of rounded corners!  Have you ever seen such a detailed map?  Since there are a lot of out-of-towners attending this wedding, a custom made map was a necessity.  Made by the groom himself.

There are a total of 3 pockets here.  The picture is not clearly showing that they are all indeed texturized with the polka dots.  The details here are remarkable! 

The response card evokes humor with the following response choices next to decreasingly smaller boxes:

Yes! Save us seats
No, sadly missing out
I'm going to forget to mail this

Overall, the invitation sets the tone of the wedding and party.  Casual yet detail oriented.  Humorous, fun and well rounded!

-The perennial bridesmaid

pulling it off or putting it on

Hopefully you read the last 2 posts about the Greek themed honeymoon shower we threw last weekend. I wanted to follow up with some other details that went into the theme to round out this "mini-series" of posts.

Having never thrown a honeymoon shower, I didn’t know what to put on the invitations. I googled a few things but didn’t like much of what was out there. Collectively we came up with the following...

[Bride] and [Groom] will marry soon
Followed by a Greek Honeymoon

Let’s send her to Greece in style!
Out of the box, off the registry…

This verbiage combined with some stellar graphics (which I can't take credit for) seemed to do the trick. Guests came equipped with honeymoon and vacation gifts (see previous blog entry for honeymoon shower gifts).

Polka dots have played a big part in this wedding overall. The bride loves them. We decided it would only be appropriate to work them into the shower as well. It was subtle on the plates and napkins. The fact that they were blue and white also worked to our Greek theme being that they are country’s colors.

The guest of honor got to sit in the Aphrodite chair which was simply a chair lined with tulle and dotted swiss fabric. It may look simple here but once she was in it she literally looked like she was on a cloud channeling her inner goddess, of course

Favors are on of my favorite shower elements to put together. I like to come up with favors that are practical. Fortunately we started the planning early so I was able to pull of my vision. Wine charms are not necessarily a new concept in the favor category but we put a Greek spin on it that played to the theme quite nicely.

After researching significant Greek symbols and their meanings, we settled on the following four which also lend the appropriate symbolism to the upcoming marriage that we are celebrating.








Owl – wisdom, protection, inspiration
Meandros – permanence, stability, infinity
Evil eye – protection and good luck
Selene – goddess of the full moon, womanhood

Here is a tip, these charms were not easy to find. Hit etsy to find an artisan who can create yours for you! Wildbryde was awesome to work with and custom made the charms for us - the only party of the shower we didn't DIY! We added the charms and a few beads to the hoops and voila!

We didn’t just pull of a bridal shower but we put on a themed event! It was easy to hit all of the elements in this shower because of the partnership between the MOB and me. The more communication and organization that goes into these things, the better the execution! Did I mention she’s a great baker too?

-The perennial bridesmaid

how do you spell greece

Where did I leave off? Ahh, dessert.

Before we could actually move onto dessert, we had to have an inevitable bridal shower game. It’s not just any game. We made this one up ourselves so we like to think it is original and more entertaining than the typical games turning up at showers.

Let’s call it “honeymoon girl”. The object of the game is for a guest to answer a correct trivia question. Then they get to put an article of honeymoon attire on the bride for the guests’ sheer entertainment.

By the end of our game “honeymoon girl” had everything on that she needed for the beach and we all had a good laugh! She was a good sport. This game is easily transferable as long as you come up with trivia questions that apply to the couple or their destination. Our questions were related to cities named Athens. Turns out there are tons of Athens beyond just Greece.

Now for dessert – baklava, oh how I wish I had more of that. Chocolate cake, almond cookies, brownies. I am sure I missing something. Check the menu. Did I mention that the brownie was iced in the Greek flag? How cute. Mmm, more baklava please.

We wrapped up the shower with gifts. As you know by now this wasn’t a typical bridal shower so there was no need for buying cutlery and sheets from Macy’s. We asked that the guests bring gifts that were “out of the box, off the registry” so we could send the bride to Greece in style.

We asked and they answered! She got fabulous floppy hats, beach bags, flowing dresses, summer scarves and more practical things like an umbrella, a passport purse, travel guide books, luggage, custom luggage tags, sunscreen, travel games and tons of flip flops. These are all ideal gifts to give at a honeymoon shower. The bride could get on the plane tomorrow to Greece and be set with those presents.

She also received several fun "before and after" gifts like a Greek cookbook and photo albums.

One guest had a creative way of presenting her honeymoon gifts. She lettered 6 blue gift bags with the letters G-R-E-E-C-E. Each bag had a different present that corresponded to the letter on the bag. For example, G – “Get ready for your trip”. The DVD of My Big Fat Greek Wedding was one of the items inside! There are so many ways you can spin these lettered bags to work for you for almost any occasion. It was such a clever idea! I want to try it.

Overall, this shower was as un-bridal shower as a shower can be and that was pleasing! A little bit of creativity and a great theme can really spice things up.

Stay tuned for some details about planning.

-The perennial bridesmaid

defining a honeymoon shower

I’m still recovering from my fantastic weekend that was jam packed with wedding festivities. As promised, I am sharing details. I have been trying to organize them in my brain to present them in a comprehensive manner.
Let’s start with the bridal shower… I am going to break it into a mini-series, if you will.

The bride’s mom and I opted to plan a honeymoon shower. I had heard of this concept but never executed it before. Commonly a honeymoon shower is thrown to prepare the couple for their vacation. The idea is to shower them with travel related gifts rather than items from their registry.

We took it a step further. You could actually say about 3 steps further…

The newlyweds will be vacationing in Greece later this summer. Therefore, we themed the entire shower around Greece. This was not only a surprise for the bride but also a surprise for the guests. They knew they were invited to a honeymoon shower for the bride but didn’t know it would be Greek themed for them as well.

When guests arrived they were presented with apps to munch on like olives, hummus & pita. Once the guest of honor came, we broke into Greek dance. This was led by a very talented little boy appropriately named Alexander. He is a Greek dancer who came prepared in the traditional outfit. Alexander taught us the traditional moves.  Opa!

Think that’s better than bridal bingo? We do.

After we caught our breath from dancing, we toasted to the bride with ouzo. An anise flavored aperitif that I’m sure the bride and groom will sample more of on their honeymoon.

Finally it was time for the delicious main course, which consisted of spanikopita, tzatziki, dolmades, olives, hummus, and many many good things that I do not know how to say, let alone spell. The mother of the bride is such a fabulous cook and baker. She made it all herself from scratch! And no, she is not Greek. Check out her menu below.

Hungry for more? Stay tuned for dessert.

-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

tasty affair

Wondering what to expect at your tasting?  Here is one couple's account from the guest blogging bride...

One of the aspects of wedding planning that excited me most about our year-and-a-half long engagement was our tasting. Most tastings I had heard about involved the bride, groom and respective parents having a meal with one or two other couples getting married at the same venue. Usually the story includes one parent complaining about something loudly. This experience sounds ok, but I think our tasting exceeded such an event. Since our wedding caterer serves multiple venues in the area, our tasting was quite epic. Basically, it was a wedding reception with no ceremony and 250+ strangers at one of the premier wedding venues in the Philadelphia area.

When we got to the venue for the tasting, there was a line out the door. We stood in the cold with other couples as everyone checked in. I immediately started stereotyping people to guess who was getting married at our venue and who was more organized than me. (Some people had their wedding binders in hand. I don't even own one thanks to my love of Google Docs) Once we made our way inside, we got nametags that indicated which venue we were hosting our wedding. This made the stereotyping even more explicit! From all my research, I have a good idea of how much these venues cost and the fancy looking couples indeed were getting married at the fancy venues. (There were a few odd exceptions that involved tattooed couples.) I smiled knowingly at couples with matching nametags to ours.

There were still parents in attendance at this type of tasting. Part of our wedding agreement included two complimentary admissions to the tasting, covering me and my fiance. Other guests had to pay a fee. The parents took their role at the tasting very seriously. They stood guard at the kitchen for the first taste of each of the passed hors d'ouevres. They strategically covered their plates with one of everything from the stations. Not being nearly as aggressive, my fiance and I tried exactly one passed hors d'ouevre (which we shared) and about three different stations' offerings. We knew we wouldn't have sushi at our wedding, so why bother waiting in line? Basically, we spent the cocktail hour having some wine and beer, checking out a binder with fabric samples for our tablecloths, and oohing and ahhing at the venue and people in general.

We then proceeded into the ballroom where we sat at a 10-top table with other couples getting married at our same venue. This was certainly the most valuable part of the event. We exchanged when we were getting married, when we got engaged, some vendor recommendations, answered each others questions and compared notes over the food. I even got everyone to write down their email addresses so I can forward them photos I've found of other weddings at our site. I'm sure if people are into it, we'll continue our dinner discussion over email.

The caterer had provided us all with a list of all the food available that evening, so we could keep track of what we were eating and make comments. The seated portion of the night involved three courses - fish, poultry and beef. Each course came with three-four different preparations of the selected meat, along with three-four different sides. (I have to be honest and say that there was a disappointing amount of carrots as sides.) It was all incredibly tasty, but overwhelming to have that much food! At least they spaced the courses out pretty well and cut the food into bite-sized portions. During the entire dinner portion, there was still an open bar too!

Then came dessert. There was a section of the ballroom near our table that had been curtained off. We deciphered that this is where the chocolate and caramel fountains would be, and sure enough, they were revealed with excitement! There was also a fresh-baked cookie station, mini milkshakes being passed around, and the cake samples. I think there were about six different cakes brought to the table in little slices. As far as the food went, the dessert was a highlight for me!

A typical question following such an extravagant event will logically be "So what did you pick for your menu?!". As comprehensive as the night was, we did not pick a single thing from the tasting to be served at our wedding. We were very attached to a specific, casual (Read: inexpensive) menu that the caterers offer, and the tasting was a chance for them to showcase their fancier items, enticing brides, grooms and well-to-do parents into selecting upgrades.

The tasting was a chance for us to be assured that our caterers handle cooking good food for large numbers of people. They proved themselves that night. Will our wedding include a sushi bar, flank steak, a signature fruit martini, or a caramel fountain? No. Will it have solid, tasty food choices made by professionals? Yes. Do I feel like I was pampered for a night? Yes! Am I excited for my wedding with corn on the cob, hamburgers and a homemade cake buffet? Even more than before!

summer dreams

…make me feel fine.

On these cold February days, planning a sunny summer event brightens my day. This morning I secured 25 tickets to an August Phillies game/bachelorette party where the boys will take on the Mets. It should be a good game considering the long standing rivalry between both teams. Regardless of the rivalry at bat, it is guaranteed to be a good day because a group of friends will be celebrating with the bride in one of her favorite atmospheres.

Tickets went on sale yesterday for the Phillies regular season. Getting a large group in to see the Phillies play the Mets on a Saturday evening in August proved to be quite challenging, even this early in the pre-season. Fortunately I was up for the challenge! Sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see if my request for 25 tickets was approved only psyched me for the event more. Look for us on the jumbotron dancing with the Phanatic this summer!

I can barely wait. I’ve spent the morning daydreaming about pinstripes, Hatfield Dogs, Chickie's & Pete's Crab Fries, cotton candy, the Schmitter, Tony Luke’s cheesesteaks & McFadden’s cover bands. If you don’t know what I am talking about, you’ve probably never been to the Phillies stadium on a warm summer night. Put it on your to-do list.

Bring on tailgating. Bring on baseball. Bring on the summer sun!

-The perennial bridesmaid

baseball isn't just for bachelors

The bachelorette party is the last right of the bride while she’s single.  It is a girls night out (or day out or weekend out) honoring the bride-to-be just weeks before she walks down the aisle.  It is up to her friends to show her a fabulous time.  There are a variety of ways to do that. You can do the mellow party of dinner and drinks with all of the bride’s besties. That’s always a good time but maybe not as memorable as the party where the cop turned stripper arrives at the door. Yes, memorable but also slightly raunchy.  And my favorite is the destination bachelorette party.  But if not everyone can jet off to Vegas for the weekend you can always stay home and do a spa bachelorette party. Who doesn’t like to be pampered?

What’s most important when planning the bachelorette party is the bride, of course.  It had better be a party that honors her personality and interests.  That is why we’re planning a baseballette party honoring one special bride-to-be this summer.  Because she loves the Phillies, we’ll tailgate and attend a game against one of their biggest rivals in August. Since there will be about 20 of her closest friends along for the bash, we need to start planning now so we can get great seats and enough for everyone!

I am sure the MLB bachelor party has been done but it is still an evolving tradition for bachelorettes.  One difference is that we won’t get kicked out of the stadium for being too rowdy like the boys.  We’ve derived the title “bachelorette” from the bachelors so why not take a lead from them on party themes as well?

-The perennial bridesmaid