Mar

25

Everyone Likes Good Fluff!

Filed Under Planning Tips | 5 Comments

I discovered these sweet cards over at Fluff Paper – what an adorable way to ask someone special if they will be your Maid of Honor or your Bridesmaid for your wedding day?

Hmmm… now I wonder if there are cards out there for giving to the Best Man or Groomsman?

Also found at Fluff, fabulously sweet or snarky anniversary cards! Perfect to get for your beloved! Or maybe you need birthday cards? How about some cool gifts? Oh, there are a lot of options to be found there – check it out!

UPDATE! Julia of Fluff Papers contacted me and offered a special discount code for WhollyMatrimony! readers! When you place your order, use the code WHOLLY20 to get 20% off your entire order through April 3, 2009!

Mar

20

Grabbing for the Garter!

Filed Under Photography, Planning Tips | 3 Comments

The guys never seem very thrilled about being hauled out to the dance floor for the garter toss. As a photographer, I’ve seen many garters just fall to the floor as all the guys take a step backwards to avoid it. Sometimes it is funny, but most of the time it is just sad.

As I was reading through old posts over on the WeddingBee, I came across a wedding recap from Mrs. Eggplant where she talked about her wedding day and shared a *fabulous* tip – give the guys an incentive beyond the garter itself to make them grab for it!


Photograph by Apertura.

They added a token gift card to the garter from Best Buy, and the result?


Photograph by Apertura.

The guys went for it! No garter falling to the floor, and it makes for much more interesting photographs for your photographer as an added bonus!

Mar

17

Bringing Back Old Traditions

Filed Under Decorations, Planning Tips | 3 Comments


Image from Design Sponge

Remember back in the good old days when the decorations on the couple’s getaway car was so simple as a string of cans and maybe a sweet “Just Married!” note? I miss those days. Eventually, it seems that people took it to such an extreme that now people are told not to decorate the car at all. Wouldn’t it be cute though to have some adorable cans like these decorating the back of your car?

The above cans – along with a LOT of other fabulous finds – are for sale at Wedding So Sweet on Etsy (home of all things wonderful!), but thanks to Design Sponge’s DIY tips, you could make a set that is all your own! How fabulous would it be to coordinate them with your wedding colors? And the painted cans just seem to elevate it all to a whole new level. So fabulous!


Image from Green Wedding Shoes, found at Design Sponge

I love the bikes and other items decorated with these cute items – perfect for a romantic destination wedding where your retreat might not be in the usual car!

Here is to bringing back old traditions and seeing lots more cans announcing newlyweds in the future!

Mar

12

RealSimple Weddings

Filed Under Destination Weddings, Planning Tips | 2 Comments

Any bride can tell you planning a wedding can be a very stressful undertaking. The folks at RealSimple have recently released their 2009 Weddings magazine planner edition. This is the second year for the planner and is designed for everyone whether you are panning a backyard DIY wedding or a black tie extravaganza. This book will give you step by step guidance in planning your day with the least amount of stress.

In true RealSimple style, everything is laid out, well, simple. The editors have broken down the major categories that are entailed in planning including elements such as checklists, FAQ’s and stunning inspirational photos from actual weddings. The blurbs from each featured wedding include descriptions of how each couple incorporated design elements to fit their personality to make it a truly special day.

Some of the categories and planning features which really stood out for us to make this not just any other wedding planning book was the dress section and the flower section. The dress section has a full descriptions for eight different body types and which style dresses are flattering for those body types. A bride can then narrow down her dress style choices by choosing a style more flattering for her, but also save time by not trying on lots of dresses which may not flatter her figure.

In the flower section is a two page layout chart of common wedding flowers. The chart contains information such as time of the year commonly available, colors available and also a “good to know” section. Not only does this help you pick the flowers according to the time of the year they would be the least expensive, it will also let you know information such as whether the flower bruises easily or would it be good for table arrangements.

The book also has a pullout guide to carry around with you and contains a few checklists (including a “day of” checklist), spaces for vendor info and songlists, and also a resource guide for online associations that pertain to the wedding industry.

Lastly, the greatest feature of this book (I mean aside from all the great pictures) has got to be the large resource index in the back. Lists of websites for everything imaginable for planning your wedding. They have also included a resource list from the RealSimple website which includes more checklists and even lists of questions to ask the different vendors.

All in all this is an excellent planning resource. It’s very easy to read and look at and provides a lot of stimulus for planning a wedding unique and outside the box for any budget. And for a price tag of around $14, a total steal for the wealth of information it includes.  A very small investment to help you make one of the most special days of your life RealSimple.

Mar

4

Confessions of a Bride-to-be: On Becoming Bridezilla

Filed Under Confessions of a Bride-to-Be | 2 Comments

We’ve all seen the show, or heard of it at least— a screaming, pouting, control-freak bride-to-be torturing everyone around her as she plans her wedding day. As I began planning our wedding, I watched the show and cringed, thinking I would never be that way. I’m too mature for that kind of behavior. The reality… there is fine line between being organized and having an opinion and becoming a Bridezilla.

Planning a wedding is much harder than I’d anticipated. I tried to approach the whole thing from a relaxed point of view. “Hey, I don’t care. I just want to marry my man.” But eventually, I was sort of pushed into have more of an opinion, just to get things done. No one is going to decide your colors for you. Or pick out the flowers. Or tell you want to wear. Or what song to walk down the aisle to. Or what to give as favors. Or who is invited…the list could go on, believe me. So, despite my initial laissez faire attitude, as we near the culmination of the project—the wedding day—I’m invested in my choices and I care.

I’ve yet to scream at anybody but there have been some tears—privately. I do want things to be a certain way now that I’ve really had to envision and design this huge party. I have a timeline and things need to get done in a certain order to help alleviate a lot of work at the last minute. This has been the hardest part for me and my partner. He doesn’t think my stress about the timeline is warranted. And for the most part he is right. It’ll be what it will be and in the end we’ll be married. But as the project manger of this shindig, I’m trying to keep this boat afloat and that requires a certain management style.

There have been crucial moments where I could have lost it. For example, the invitations were cut slightly off. There is a little extra space at the top. I was irritated and considered re-trimming all 150 of them myself. Instead, I took a step back, and realized that they are beautiful the way they are and I’m probably the only person who will notice this slight flaw. I decided it wasn’t worth my sanity for it to be perfect.

And this is the perspective that keeps it all in balance. This idea, to let go of perfection, is the wonder tonic cure-all for Bridezilla. It’s the elixir of grace that can keep the monster at bay. I’m getting married to a man that is a perfect match for me—neither of us being perfect, but perfectly imperfect. Our wedding will be perfectly imperfect as well, and that’s the kind event everyone can really enjoy.

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