Brides & Bouquets - Creators

Creators.com/Brides & Bouquets 2011 October 29, 2010
Brides & Bouquets
~COnTEnTS~
• Recycled Wedding
Rings
• An Engaging Decision
• Fashion Forward
• Vendor Advice
• Kids at Weddings
• Paying for the Wedding
• Groom Involvement
• E-Etiquette
• The Bachelorette Party
• Photo Booths
• Getting Away Together
• Bridal Accessories
• The All-Important Cake
• DJ or Band?
• All You need is Love
Kristen Castillo
Creators.com
SPECIAL SECTION 2011
FAS HION FORWARD
What to wear on your big day
(and at all the parties, too!)
Kristen Castillo
Creators.com
Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day, but there's
so much more to the bridal look than focusing on just the big day.
From an engagement party to the wedding day and every wedding-related
event in between, a bride should dress and accessorize
for every occasion.
"Anywhere a bride is going to be recognized as a bride, she's
going to want to be in the spotlight," says Adrianne Harris, an event
specialist with Blessed Events Inc.
Fashion stylist Melinda Tarbell says a bridal look is an extension
of a woman's daily look, just stepped up a notch. "You definitely want
to be true to your personal style," says Tarbell, who suggests a bride
ask herself what styles she identifies with, such as a classic bride, a
vintage bride or a trendy bride.
*Create a Plan
Map out your style in advance. Tarbell advises brides to build a
look around upcoming events. For example, "wear the same shoes to
the bridal shower and the rehearsal dinner," she says.
"Spend more on key pieces," Tarbell says. "It gives you consistent,
personal style."
Brides and grooms need to make sure they
dress on the same level. The look should be coordinated
but not too matched.
"Feel like a team," Tarbell says. "Keep it clean
and classic."
Still, a bride never should worry about overdoing
it. "It's OK to be a little overdressed for your event, because it's your
day," Tarbell says.
*Accessorize
Abby Larson of the wedding blog "Style Me Pretty" suggests
accessorizing with texture and dimension, e.g., having "a great clutch
or a really cool headpiece."
Another option is for the bride to wear vintage items from her
mother or grandmother.
"You can't go wrong with great old jewelry that has sentimental
value," says Tarbell, who also recommends stylish footwear.
"Especially with shoes, you can invest in a designer pair and work
them with different looks."
*Head to Toe
"Curly trellislike hair is popular," says Harris, who also sees lots of
semi-updos with a focus away from tight styles. "It is innocent and
AN ENGAGING DECISION
You've got the guy and the ring. now you need to pick a date and plan the wedding.
If you're like some brides, you already know when you want to get hitched. Other
brides aren't so sure.
"Brides have on their minds when the wedding will be," says Sara Morgan, director
of marketing for Weddzilla, a social networking site for the wedding industry. "Then
they go with that. It's less about budget and more about timing."
So sit down with your fiance and a calendar so you can pick a date and time to say
"I do."
*Engagement Timetable
According to the Bridal Association of America, the average engagement time is 17
months.
"The majority of our clients opt for approximately a yearlong engagement, plus or
minus three months," says Ashley Baber, owner and principal planner of Ashley
Baber Weddings, noting that many engaged couples are working full time.
Often, the decision to have a short or long engagement is tied to when the engagement
happened. A Thanksgiving engagement could produce a new Year's Eve wedding,
but that would be a short turnaround.
Some wedding days are more popular than others. Saturdays throughout the year
are filled with weddings because most people don't work on Saturdays.
In many parts of the country, weddings are limited to certain times of the year
because of extreme heat or cold. For example, Baber says spring and fall are popular
seasons to get married in the South.
Holiday weddings, such as Labor Day weekend nuptials, can be fun because of
demure and has a very carefree feel, but it doesn't look messy."
Picture-ready nails are mandatory, but they shouldn't be distracting.
Save the bold colors for your honeymoon.
"From the detail shots of the ring to those of the bouquet, your
perfect nails will find their way into so many photographs," says
Larson, who recommends pale pink polish, neutrals and French manicures.
*Engagement Parties and Showers
These gatherings can be casual or formal, so your look will vary
based on the place.
"A flirty cocktail dress is the perfect choice in most cases," Larson
says.
*Rehearsal Dinner
Celebrate your rehearsal dinner with a pretty dress and some
sassy accessories.
“I love to see brides wear all white during the days leading up to
Choosing how long it will be till your 'I do's'
extra days off from work, but remember to give guests advance notice of at least nine
months.
*Short Notice
A short engagement has some positive attributes.
"Some brides love the short-term gratification," Morgan explains. "The bride pictures

Creators.com/Brides & Bouquets 2011 October 29, 2010
Tom Roebuck
Creators.com
There are certainly exceptions, but a traditional wedding
ceremony is a formal affair in front of family and
friends peacefully listening as vows are exchanged. It's
the beginning of a new phase of life for the happy couple,
and the long-held traditions convey the majesty of
the moment.
After the big kiss, the bride and groom march back
down the aisle, this time together, arm in arm.
Everybody files out and heads for the reception hall for
the elegant yet lively party, where food and drink can
be found in abundance. Whereas the ceremony is a
time for guests to quietly reflect while the clergyman
addresses the flock, the reception is when everyone
can relax and get a little festive.
Bring together old friends and family; hire a DJ or a
band; and let loose free food and drink. nothing short
of a tornado ripping through the room should keep
everyone from having a good time. But that doesn't
stop wedding planners from coming up with new tricks
Ginny Frizzi
Creators.com
It's the little touches that can make something memorable, especially
when it comes to accessorizing a bridal gown.
"We like to say, 'You shine first. Then comes the dress and finally the
sparkle!'" says Lisa Sirlin Hall, a designer and boutique owner.
Event coordinator Melissa Phillips agrees. "Wedding plans begin with
the style and the impact of the bride's attire and look in creating the
mood," she says.
Carol Tuttle, author of "Dressing Your Truth," considers the bride's
gown and hairstyle as the canvas for choosing accessories. "You don't
want the accessories to compete with the gown," she says. "You have
to ask, 'Do you see the accessories or the bride first?' If too much goes
on the bride, you will see the accessories, not her, first. You want the
full woman to be noticed."
Hall counsels brides to consider style and comfort first and then
budget. "The brides usually come in stressed and are easily distracted
by a million possibilities," she says. "They are not focused when they
come in late; they are all over the place."
Hall helps brides focus by listening to them talk about themselves
and the style of their upcoming weddings. "Whether it's formal, rustic,
casual, outdoors or over-the-top, a wedding is all about the bride's
taste. She can talk about what she wants. Then we discuss her budget,"
says Hall, who then can begin to design or locate accessories for
the bride.
"A bride might say, 'I only wear gold,' so we will discuss using 14karat
gold versus 18-karat gold. If her budget doesn't cover gold, we
might consider gold-filled. If she is allergic to certain metals, we will
look for alternate materials," she explains.
Hall often designs bridal jewelry using semiprecious stones. She
says more brides are choosing to have their jewelry made in mixed
metals, including silver and gold, gold and oxidized silver, and brass
SAY CHEESE!
Photo booths: A new trend at wedding receptions
for a memorable reception. One of the latest and unexpected
trends is to rent a photo booth that everyone
can pile into and have snapshots taken.
Once a regular sight in shopping centers, photo
booths were like little studios. People would take a
seat, draw the curtain and pose while a camera took a
series of shots at regular intervals, usually about 10
seconds. Though more mature patrons would smile
nicely for the camera, it was a treasured tradition
among preteens (and others) to jam four bodies in
there and fight it out for camera time. After the shots
were snapped, a strip would emerge from the booth
with the photos lined up, ready for a scrapbook.
The age of the shopping center photo booth came
and went, but digital photography has allowed them to
make a comeback, this time at wedding receptions and
other private parties. At first glance, many wedding
guests are puzzled to see a photo booth next to the
bar.
"Most people think, 'Wow, a photo booth at a wedding?'
It doesn't make sense to them," says Donald
Bakewell, owner of Party Booths. "But when they see it
BRIDAL ACCESSORIES
Complement your look,
but don't overdo it
and copper.
She recommends that brides looking for customized
wedding accessories meet with a designer
or start looking in shops at least two months before
the wedding. If they want custom-made fine jewelry,
Hall advises them to begin six months in advance.
Tuttle emphasizes the importance of the bride's
being comfortable with any jewelry she is wearing. "If
you're not generally a bracelet person, don't wear
one," she says. "If you wear one, stick with a cuff
bracelet -- no bangles. You must keep in mind the
scale and balance of accessories when choosing
them."
Pearls remain a popular choice for bridal accessories.
A family pearl necklace or earrings can be the
"something borrowed," but some brides are selecting
costume pearls.
"With a simple dress, such as a sheath, big pearls
are worn in a whimsical, fun way. In fact, any large
necklace can make a statement," Phillips says.
Some brides incorporate the color palettes of their
weddings into their accessories, perhaps in the
stones in their necklaces or the ribbons on their bouquets.
Another idea is to forgo a veil and wear a pin
holding a feather in your hair, perhaps in your wedding
colors.
"Many brides are skipping the full-length veil. They
are choosing a small veil that sits on the head and is
often paired with a hair ornament. It can be a very
chic look," according to Phillips. "They may also
make a veil change after the ceremony. A bride wearing
a long veil might switch into a shorter one for the
reception."
in action, they're like, 'Oh, my gosh, this is the best
idea ever for a wedding reception."
The booths that were made in the 1950s were big,
heavy machines that looked like huge video games.
now they're likelier to be light and portable with
smooth, elegant surfaces and full-length curtains,
appropriate for receptions in swanky country clubs or
hotel ballrooms and even outdoors. Digital equipment
is far less bulky than the old film cameras, and the
quality is much higher, as well. A printer outside the
booth spits out one group's photos while another group
enters the booth and begins a session.
"You can get a lot of sessions done in an hour. It's
just a blast," Bakewell says. "Once those original photos
start floating around the room, it draws people to
the photo booth like a magnet."
When shopping for a rental company, it's wise to
determine beforehand who owns the copyrights to the
photos. Some companies will make prints at the receptions,
but any prints that may be wanted later will have
to be bought from them. Other companies release the
rights to the customers and supply them with DVDs
RECYCLED
WEDDING
RINGS
How to make the
most of family
heirlooms
DiAnne Crown
Creators.com
Recycle a wedding ring? Absolutely -but
make it romantic.
With gold selling for $1,340 per ounce
and diamond prices climbing, investing in
an engagement ring these days can be
daunting for a young couple. If they're
lucky enough to have heirloom wedding
rings in the family, the picture is a lot
brighter.
Add the sentimental value of wearing a
cherished family ring to the prospect of
making a sizable down payment on a
house with the cash instead and those
rings start looking even better. Here's
how -- and how not -- to recycle family
rings.
Aaron Clouse, 29, and his fiancee,
K'Lani Bishoff, couldn't find rings they
liked for their wedding until they settled
on some very special family rings. Part of
the decision was economic, Aaron says,
but "the main part is sentimental."
K'Lani will wear her great-grandmother's
wedding ring, passed down through
generations, and Aaron will wear the wedding
band of his father, who died when
Aaron was 5 years old.
The couple took K'Lani's unique
European-cut diamond ring to Michael
Schramm, owner of Schramm-Bacher
Jewelers & Gemologists, for an evaluation.
Parts of the 80-year-old ring were
worn and needed to be rebuilt, and K'Lani
wanted the entire ring to be white gold
rather than a combination of white and
yellow. Other than that, the ring is perfect
for the bride-to-be.
"She loves the setting and loves that
it's been in the family," Aaron says. It was
a great solution, in part because the rings
were of good quality.
"Sometimes rings can't be salvaged,"
says jeweler Shane Denney. If the ring is
worn-out or the stones are of poor quality
because of the cut or color and the ring
itself isn't sentimental, then remounting,
repairing or rebuilding wouldn't be a good
investment. In fact, Denney says, if the
ring was primarily an art piece originally,
changing it may actually remove all of the