Posts Tagged ‘Wedding Party’

Tips For A Fabulous Wedding Party

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Unlike the days when puffy sleeves and pastels were all the rage, it is totally fashionable to have a fabulous wedding party!

I first posted these tips in December 2009 and in my opinion they still hold true in 2012.  Here are Six Tips for a happy and beautiful wedding party:

1.  Consider having your girls wear different colors or styles of dresses (just in case everyone doesn’t feel she can pull off the color and strapless cut you may have in mind).

2.  Coordinate the girls’ look with matching shoes & handbags.

3.  Use bold, beaded jewelry to finish the look no matter what your style.  Necklaces, bracelets and earrings all work to accomplish a matched style.

4.  Perfectly match pashminas to your palette or add another pop of color to pull the look together.  By the way, any of the aforementioned items would be thoughtful gift ideas from you to your maids!

5.  Picture your groomsmen in matching suits (instead of tuxedos–particularly for mid-day ceremonies) with coordinating shirts & ties in your chosen palette.

6. Bridesmaids & groomsmen prefer to be seated with their dates instead of being separated by head table status.  Everyone will love you for this one!

Photo by Daria Bishop Photographers

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Bewitched, Bothered and Beholden

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

If you ask me Ella Fitzgerald is the bees knees.  She sings about being Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by love so today I thought I ‘d throw out a few B-word definitions for brides in honor of Lady Ella and the fabulous new wedding line by Anthropologie that was unveiled on Valentine’s Day!  If you haven’t seen the bhldn site {pronounced beholden} you simply must check it out dahhhrrling.

Five B-Words for Brides

Bewitch {To affect by witchcraft or magic; cast a spell}

Bothered {Annoyed; pestered; worried}

Bewildered {Completely confused, puzzled or perplexed}

Bespoke {Made to individual order; (older usage) engaged to be married; spoken for}

Beholden {Anthropologie’s new wedding collection which you can explore at bhldn.com}  Check it out and find something fabulous and vintage-inspired to add to your wedding attire.

Here are a few of my favorite looks…just in case you have clicked through to their shop yet!

This first look is my faaavorite.  I just love it.  The shoes, the headpiece, I want it all.

This next dress is super adorable and affordable.  I love the dress and adore those golden yellow shoes, but I’d like to see the headpiece I selected below instead of the bow on the model.  You could even add a bolero and the whole look for under $1,300.

Yes, they have boleros.  End of sentence.  I want to wear one every day as I sit at my desk or design in my studio.  I uber love the pewter-grey attendant’s dress and think the blue bolero would be fabulous with it!…it would also be a great something new and something blue, too!  Plus, having your shoulders covered during the ceremony is classy…just sayin’.

Have you been to the bhldn.com yet??  Go, look, shop, enjoy!  You lucky bride you.

What’s your favorite look?

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Selecting Bridesmaids’ Dresses

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

I have talked with several brides who are still deciding what color their bridesmaids should wear for their weddings.  J. Crew has earned a reputation for having colorful & classy bridesmaids dresses and they also make some beautiful dresses for brides, but I think Ann Taylor has a wonderful selection of wedding attire for bridesmaids that deserve a closer look.  They present dress options that can truly be worn again and again. 

Keep in mind the price point of the dresses you are considering and don’t overlook the idea of having the girls wear different colors.  Not everyone has to match.  And not everyone is thrilled to spend upwards of $200 on a dress you picked out.  That plum, burgundy, sage green, grass green, butter yellow, mango-tangerine or baby pink tone that matches your palette perfectly will probably retire to the closet after it debuts on your wedding day.

I think black, grey and possibly navy and brown dresses have the best chance of actually being worn again and I’m a big fan of different styles or colors on each girl.  If you manage to choose something that everyone likes (and looks good in!) you will be a wedding day hero.  Oh, and please remember that your table linens should not be the same color as the girls’ dresses.  That’s just mean.

What color do you think is most complimentary for a bridesmaid to wear?  Did you wear a color recently that you hated…or felt great in?

Above is one of my favorite color palettes for a summer wedding with a bright, fun feeling.

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Tips for the Mother of the Bride

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Mothers of the bride (or MOB’s as we wedding folks say) are an important part of the wedding day.  Whether you are a close mother-daughter team or tend to have, let’s say, a failure to communicate, it’s important to know your place.  Typically, MOB’s get a reputation for being too involved, too opinionated or too pushy, but over the past few years I have noticed more moms (of both the bride and the groom) playing a bigger role in the overall planning process.  For destination weddings, whether moms are local or out-of-town, they are sometimes taking over completely for busy, professional brides and grooms who need a little wedding assist.

The “rules” for the mother-of-the-bride have changed over the years.  Some moms wear blue on their daughter’s wedding day, some walk the bride down the aisle, some host a day-after brunch, some are there only to give support and advice when it’s asked for, and then others plan the entire wedding.  Every bride and MOB is unique.

Here are 3 important tips for Moms:

If you’ve been invited to shop for the bridal dress or go along for the floral consultation do your best to listen to what the bride is thinking and do what you can to make that vision come true.  If you’re not asked to come to the vendor meetings, tastings and shopping outings, don’t be offended.  Today’s brides are very independent–hey, you made them that way!–and sometimes she will handle as many details as she can on her own, but she is likely to need your help or opinion at some point so just hang tight!

Avoiding conflict with the bride should be a priority when planning a wedding.  In terms of budget it is essential to be clear so there aren’t any false expectations about the scope of the wedding.  It is not uncommon for brides and grooms as well as the grooms’ parents to contribute to hosting the wedding and rehearsal dinner.  Everyone should be prepared to compromise when it comes to the guest list based on the budget.

The most important thing is that you enjoy the wedding day!  Find yourself a nice dress that makes you feel great, have a good time, be proud of your daughter and the role you played in helping make this dream come true–it’s a big day for you, too!

Below is a clutch bouquet for an MOB.  I personally prefer small clutch bouquets to pin-on corsages for modern day moms!

Vermont wedding flowers

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6 Tips For A Happy Wedding Party

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Unlike the days when puffy sleeves and pastels were all the rage, it is totally fashionable to have a fabulous wedding party!

Six Tips for a Happy Wedding Party
  1. Consider having your bridemaids wear different colors or styles of dresses (just in case everyone doesn’t feel she can pull off the color and strapless cut you may have in mind).  Mismatching can be done beautifully.
  2. Coordinate the girls’ look with matching shoes & handbags.  This is a great way to bring the bridesmaids’ looks together if they are not all wearing the same dress.
  3. Use bold, beaded jewelry to finish the look no matter what your style.  Necklaces, bracelets and earrings all work to complete a look.
  4. Perfectly match pashminas to your palette to add another pop of color to the wardrobe.  By the way, any of the aforementioned items would be thoughtful gift ideas from you to your maids!
  5. Picture your groomsmen in matching suits (instead of tuxedos–particularly for mid-day ceremonies!) with coordinating shirts & ties in your chosen palette.
  6. Bridesmaids & groomsmen prefer to be seated with their dates instead of being separated by head table status.  Everyone will love you for this one!

vermont wedding flowers

Flowers are a perfect way to add color to your wedding party.  These brightly colored bouquets include roses, freesia, hydrangea, and dianthus.

 

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5 Bouquet Tips

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Here are 5 quick day-of tips for fresh bouquets:

  1. Leave bouquets in water (in the florist’s box) when you are not using them for photographs prior to the ceremony.  Most flowers will last reliably for about 2 hours out of water.
  2. An attendant should blot the stems with a towel before handing bouquet to the bride to avoid getting water drops on your dress.
  3. Carry your bouquet down by your hips/belly button.  If you carry it much higher you start to almost hide behind the flowers.  This will also be the best angle for you bouquet to be photographed!
  4. Display the bridal and attendants’ bouquets on your head table or sweetheart table in addition to (or instead of) a centerpiece.
  5. Incorporate ”something old” into your bouquet by pinning a broach to the ribbon.  This is a great way to include your grandmother’s cameo or simply add a little sparkle. 

Your bouquets will be the most photographed flowers on your wedding day so you want to keep them looking their best!

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