what happens in vegas

I promised no stories from the Las Vegas bachelorette party last weekend. I'm breaking that promise to tell you one of the most outlandish and fun things we did there. Maybe not the most but whatever.

After getting off of the plane, we were destined to head straight to a pawn shop . Not just any pawn shop but the pawn shop of the now famous History channel series Pawn Stars. God, I love that show.

Rather than going straight there, we thought it would be better to “get ready” for our first night out in Vegas. That can only mean one thing: Bronzer. Actually, it meant a lot of things but bronzer was the reoccurring accessory, if you will. We turned a shower stall into a spray tanning booth and were instantly transformed into west coast. What snow?

(By the way, don’t try this at home. Seriously. Getting the spray on tan off of a tub doesn’t look easy.)

With our instant bronze and party dresses on, we headed off the strip and into a territory filled with cheesy wedding chapels, bail bonds signs, X-rated gift shops and several pawn shops.

There was a line.

A long line filled with elderly and overweight tourists. It wasn’t anything like a line outside of a trendy club although that is exactly the line we looked like we should have been in. Just when we were reconsidering our outfit choices, we were whisked inside not because we were tourists like all of the others but because we were there for official business.

The bachelorette came prepared to kiss her past good bye. She sold all of the gifts of past boyfriends. After a little negotiating with a couple of guys that I've never seen on the show she collected a tidy lump sum.

Then we went to dinner. On the ex’s dime.

And I waved to Big Hoss who was the only one there filming at the time. No Old Man.

The rest of the weekend was a total bore.

The end.

-The perennial bridesmaid

consolation prize

The mere reason bridesmaids were invented was to tend to the bride’s every wish, right?

Well, I accepted the challenge of scouting vendors to handcraft hair pieces for our March bridal party upon the bride's wish. They should be black and made of feathers and rhinestones and evoke some old Hollywood glamour. We’d like for the bride’s birdcage veil to sort of coordinate as well. Perhaps a feather fascinator for her too.

Sounds easy, right?

Not exactly because there are just SO many great vendors out there to choose from. I decided to post an alchemy request on etsy to see who could propose the ideal product at our price point.

The bids poured in. 

The final decision was made today and the order was placed. Since there are so many artisans out there, I wanted to give a few of the runners up some blog time by featuring their work.  Which I just love.

Check ‘em out.


Yaneth and Co

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pick Me Flowers
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Paper Silk Made
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rtisan
 

 

Sunshine and Carousels



-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

keep on rockin

Did you think I was done with the Rockabilly wedding biz? Not yet! I didn’t even tell you about what a Rockabilly bride wears! Based on yesterday’s post, I assume you have a good idea of the atmosphere and décor of a Rockabilly wedding reception.  Now, rewind to the ceremony.

Conveniently the church was lined in red carpet. Red was one of the accents colors of the entire wedding plus black and white. The pews were decorated in retro paper flowers. Nice touch.

The groomsmen wore dark pants with mechanic style short sleeve button downs and slicked hair. They really worked the greaser/muscle car part of the theme. For the actual ceremony, they put on black blazers and red ties. You sure can dress them up. The groom had a similar outfit on but opted for a white tie.




















Since the bride and groom each have a young son, there were two adorable ring bearers to dress up for the occasion. They were wearing dark pants with a personalized retro bowling shirt. For the ceremony, they too wore a jacket and tie. Their outfits were pulled together with classic black Chuck Taylors.  Seriously, how cute is he?

The bridesmaids were dressed in retro black dresses with white polka dots that were filled out with red crinoline skirts underneath. The red peaked through just right. They also wore red flowers in their hair.  But the bride’s dress was my favorite. There is something about a short wedding dress that is just so glamorous. Maybe it is the surprise of the untraditional. I don’t know but it’s cool! She wore a white Vivien of Holloway 1950s style halter that stopped at the knee and was also filled out with the red crinoline skirt. She accessorized with a birdcage veil, of course, and red strappy shoes, black belt & pearls. She was definitely a Rockabilly bride!

Their vision became a reality...

-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!

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

blues

Bridal blues. You heard of ‘em? After months of wedding plans, tastings, fittings & trials comes the main event and then? The honeymoon? Some brides experience a sort-of depression known as the bridal blues once their wedding is all said and done.

I think I am experiencing bridesmaid blues, if there is such a thing. I’m feeling quite melancholy. Maybe it’s because I’m left here in the rain with no exotic vacation.

I think it is simply because last weekend’s wedding was just so spectacular that I can’t believe it’s actually over! I keep remembering the delicious food and wishing I went back for just one more seafood cake or actually sampled the pasta station. Perhaps I should have had another lemony, signature cocktail affectionately named the Spanktini, a shout out to the groom. I regretfully never made it to the dessert buffet either because I just couldn’t pull myself off of the dance floor. I didn’t even taste the chocolate on chocolate 3-tier, square, monogrammed wedding cake that the bride & groom comically toasted and fed themselves instead of the messy cake smash on one another.

Bummer. It must have been a good party because I don’t miss out on chocolate for much.

The weather turned out to be just right for late March. It was the kind of early spring day that brings the deer out of the woods, the daffodils up and the geese flying…and they did. All of nature and 150 guests circled around the veranda at the Manor House to watch as my brother and sister-in-law exchanged their written vows. The ceremony was so very them. Sweet and nice injected with bits of humor. It was like watching a segment of their comical, everyday banter except they were in formal attire…and there was a photographer capturing every move.

The music was on point as well. Jason Mraz and John Mayer really can create a modern feel at an otherwise traditional outdoor ceremony. And who knew Slick Rick, Beyonce, Rolling Stones, Lil Jon, Dion, U2 & Guns ‘N Roses could be such a good time at the same time at the reception! Did I mention Guns ‘N Roses? Playing the air guitar to Sweet Child of Mine with the groom as we did as kids is definitely a fond memory. I’m just nervous to see the video. Swinging my hair around like Slash might have been cute when I was 7 but perhaps not so much as an adult in a gown. Time will tell.

Everyone looked fabulous.  Especially the bride in a stunning, rouched waste, v-neckline gown with an ornate flower in her hair.  Even my dad, with 2 left feet, had a way with his classic tuxedo. His dressy Chuck Taylor’s really put a spin on the threads that only he can.

Now that the vows have been exchanged; the toasts have been made; the feast has been had; and the newlyweds are on the beach somewhere; it’s time for this bridesmaid to shake the blues! One down, how many more to go this year?

-The perennial bridesmaid

made up

What is appropriate to pay for bridal make up on your wedding day? I have heard from as low as $50 to over $200! Has this gotten out of hand? Sure seems it.

Exhibit A. My friend, a bride, had a make up trial done recently. She hated it but that’s besides the point here. The ‘artist’ wanted to charge her $175 for bridal make up and all of her bridesmaids would be $75 each. That is the highest amount that I have ever heard for this service considering we are not talking about a celeb make up artist but your average cosmetics-counter-turned-independent make up artist.

In addition to the $175, this woman wanted a travel fee of about $40 AND, get this, a fee for applying false eye lashes. Another $15! ($10 if you bring your own. Ha!) If eyelashes aren’t included in $175, what is? That’s well over $200 for make up for one day. Just extreme!

And why is there a need to charge the bride $100 more than the bridesmaids anyway? Wouldn’t good business sense say to give the bride a discount for bringing all 6-8 of her bridesmaids business to her? After all, hotels usually give the bride and groom a free or discounted room for bringing them a ton of business. Shouldn’t this work the same?

I never really understood why the bride is charged more than everyone else. I suppose it is just the industry. As soon as the word “wedding” or “bridal” is attached to something, it automatically doubles. I made an appointment for a bride friend once for her make up but failed to mention that it was her wedding day. Once they found out, the price sky rocketed. For what? I still haven’t figured it out. No one can ever explain what exactly “the bridal package” includes that makes the price rise so much.

The bridal make up package seems to be made up.

-The perennial bridesmaid

suits you well

Last night I went suit shopping. Yes, suit shopping, not dress shopping. I thought us ladies had a lot of options in the formalwear department but let me tell you I learned a thing or two in my brief shopping excursion.

The suits chosen were from the executive collection, not to be confused with the signature, traveler or signature-gold suits. Is this sort of like a man differentiating between tank, spaghetti & halter straps? That’s how I felt when I picked up a signature but meant to grab the executive (no pun intended).

We settled on two suits…one is charcoal (not to be confused with gray) with a fine stripe. The choice was between a white stripe or light blue stripe. We went with blue. This reminded me of a time that I was asked to help decide between a white or ivory sash for a bridesmaid dress. We pined over it and weighed the pros and cons for days. As for the stripe, it took 2 minutes to decide based on eye color. Why don’t us ladies ever use the eye color technique?

We gazed over more patterns such as glen check, houndstooth, glen plaid, tweed, glen tilt tweed…who the hell is Glen anyway? They all looked grayish or tan to me.

The second suit, let’s call it brown, looks like a “faint plaid” pattern. I was quickly corrected by the salesman. This pattern is actually called windowpane. Ahh. This does make much more sense. Clever gentlemen.

Now that the suits were selected, it was onto alterations…
For women, this is where it usually gets ugly. We stand up on a pedestal with pins sticking out of us at every angle. We’re trying to lift and tuck like there’s no tomorrow. Not for men. They’re posed with 3 questions which have nothing to do with overexposing or underexposing skin or hiding wobbly bits.

1. Half break or full break? What the heck! I wouldn’t pay for anything that comes broken. Oh let’s review the photos of how the pant falls over the shoe. Wow, these guys are more detail oriented than I give them credit for. Full break, thanks. And with that, the salesman made one mark on the pant and no one's grandma was crawling on the flooring pinning up the hem.
2. Cuff or no cuff? This was a tough decision. Maybe more difficult than the actual suit decision. No cuff. Final.
3. Permanent resin crease? Well aren’t these guys fancy!

Onto accessories…ties, pocket squares, shirts, cufflinks, belts, loafers. I never pick my jewelry, hairstyle or shoes when I decide on the dress. We’ll save this for another day.

I will say that it took me longer to write this post than it did for him to actually pick out his two suits. Men are so much simpler than women when it comes to formalwear. I wish I could walk into a dress shop, select 2 dresses in 15 minutes and alternate wearing them to 10 formal occasions over the next year. Without ever looking the same.

-The perennial bridesmaid

mama said

I’m on a veil kick this week. There are just so many styles out there. I am not going to list them all in this post. I’d rather address yo’mama’s veil. Many of my friends are telling me about their mom’s dream of having their daughters wear their veil. These dreams have been in place since before these girls were even around. Fast forward 30+ years and mom’s pulling the veil out of preservation. These vintage styles tend to range from finger tip to cathedral in length. Perhaps that’s not your style. How can you let mom down (especially if you’re her ONLY daughter) and not wear the veil?

Consider using it in your bridal bouquet. Swap out the ornate florist ribbon for the tulle of your mom’s bouquet. You can wrap the stems with the veil or actually weave it amongst the flowers. The former veil will still be a feature on you during the ceremony.

One of my friends is doing just that with her mother’s veil. The veil-turned-bouquet will also coordinate with the lace huppah at the ceremony. The bonus is that the lace was an heirloom tablecloth that belonged to the bride’s great-grandmother.

Which brings me to another use for cathedral length; you can use the veil to dress the arch or the huppah that you plan to marry under. You can also incorporate it into a table runner. Are you having a sweetheart table for you and your groom? The veil may be just the right size to decorate the table.

If your mom really wants you to actually wear the veil, you might just be able to without forsaking the veil of your own dreams. Incorporate mom’s veil into your dress. The netting can be used as an overlay on the skirt or panel on the waist. Talk to your seamstress. Most are happy to make customizations when fitting the dress to you.

Think about lining a clutch purse with the netting. This is not an overt shout out to mom but you will know her veil is with you. If you’re lucky enough to have combs or floral accents on your mom’s veil, you should easily be able to accent the outside of your clutch or shoes with the flowers. Plug in that hot glue gun!

-The perennial bridesmaid

birdcage rage

The birdcage veil has become increasingly popular amongst brides over the last few years. Why wouldn’t it? This vintage style is stunning.

Birdcage veils made their first debut on brides in the 1930s and 40s. They traditionally cover the eyes and end at the cheek bone. Some dramatic versions go below the chin, covering the bride’s entire face. But nowadays it’s all in the angle. Consider wearing yours just draping over one eye, accenting the side of your face.

Traditionally these veils are composed of a light Russian or French tulle. Less common, but equally as fabulous, are the varieties of colors you can now find birdcage veils in for your wedding.

Black isn’t just for funerals anymore and pink isn’t reserved for the derby.

Fascinators are often used to keep the veil in place although some brides opt out of this accent all together. Be bold and think outside of the box for your fascinator such as peacock feathers, buttons, bows, silk orchids, Swarovski crystals and fabric. In some cases, all of the above will make one fabulous fascinator.

Are you are ready to rock this retro trend? Check out some of my favorites below from etsy sellers. These aren’t your grandma’s birdcage veils.

-The perennial bridesmaid



traditional

Feather Simplicity

Dotted Darling

Ivory & Crystal

Diamond White

modern

Something Blue

Green Goddess

Precious in Pink


















Rock & Roll