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It’s been a long debate for years now. Who should choose what the bridesmaid dresses look like? Ultimately the bride chooses the color, but should she also pick the style for each and every bridesmaid? Or should the bridesmaids be able to choose what dress they will all wear on the big day?

I was chatting with an upset MOTG (mother of the groom) yesterday and she was disappointed with the dresses that the bride had chosen. “Who’s choice is it?” She asked me. It made me think. Technically I had always thought that what the bride says; goes. It’s her wedding and everything is her (and his) choice. When my sister got married, I subtly asked if we could avoid the strapless bridesmaid dress style. When she told me her decision two weeks later, low and behold, she had chosen the strapless dresses (of all the gowns we tried on!) I wasn’t thrilled but I told myself that it was her wedding, and I will suck it up and wear what she wanted me to.

The mother of the groom was really wishing that the bride would have consulted with the bridesmaids (one of which is the groom’s sister) with what style they were most comfortable in. Her point was that she wished the bride would have taken into account the shape and figures of the girls before she chose a dress. Which is a good point, and I’m sure the bridesmaids did have valuable feedback on the dresses. But ultimately… who’s choice is it?

The question therefore still remains unanswered. What do you think? Who should choose the bridesmaid dresses?

When planning a wedding and choosing colors, many brides bring out the usual suspects – pinks, whites, creams, blues, silvers, and even chocolate.  But you want something different; you want something that sparkles, that impresses even as it surprises.  For you, purple is perfect.  Long associated with royalty – because kings and queens were once the only ones who could afford the luxurious dye used to create purple garments – purple is very rich, extremely varied, and always interesting.  You could play it safe with soft lavenders, or you begin incorporating some purple passion into your big day.

Light purple colors are lovely, and they can be quite intriguing when paired with shades of pale or baby pink, lime green, powder blue, silver, or gold.  Darker hues of purple work well with chocolate, light and darker shades of pink, and darker greens. These are all great options, but consider throwing convention aside and trying a monochromatic theme for your wedding:  purple comes in any number of rich, gorgeous shades, and you can combine them for a dramatic, royal affect.  Lilac, amethyst, lavender, aubergine, fuchsia, magenta, mauve, violet, wisteria, and other hues can be dramatic and dynamic when arranged in different combinations and accented with simple brown, silver, or cream.

A great purple passion bridal bouquet can be made from lovely wisteria, lilac, lavender double tulips, bluebird roses, pink godetia, and lavender dendrobium orchids. These are arranged with a touch of greenery, such as catmint or varieties of oregano.  It is whimsical and elegant.  Also try blooms in reds, blues, pinks, chocolate (chocolate cosmos and roses are great choices) or shades of purple.

The bride can opt for a white dress with a sash in her preferred purple hue, while her bridesmaids wear purple dresses with white or a darker or lighter shade of purple sash.  Or again, if you really want to embrace the purple passion theme, consider a purple wedding dress.  Upon first hearing this, you may think that a purple wedding dress would be hideous: they’re not!  In fact, they can be very sophisticated and chic.  Dita von Teese, for instance, wore a Vivienne Westwood creation of purple silk taffeta that was anything but understated.

But you could also opt for a more sedate – but hardly boring – version.  Assepoester makes a couture dress with a sleeveless v-neck top with ruffled neckline and a darker layered skirt.  The gray tones literally tone the dress down, while the interesting lines create a thoroughly innovative and chic gown. Bridesmaids would look wonderful in gray or silver dresses.

Men can wear vests and ties of accent colors, such as another shade of purple, silver, cream, or brown, with a purple pocket square; purple tie clips and cuff links; or a purple vest with silver, cream, or brown tie.  The men’s attire is dependent largely on what the bride and her bridesmaids wear.

Depending on your tone, your reception venue can be decorated with pastel, soft purples and complementing white, cream, and pink tones, or your could go with a darker purple with lots of texture, including dark and light purple and white balloons, scented candles, rich purple table linens, solid white chair covers with purple ties, and other sensuous touches. There are plenty of purple wedding favors to choose from, and you could even opt for purple reception centerpieces as well. There are plenty of ways to subtly tie in purple amongst your other complementary colors.

Purple passion can also extend to your menu.  You can feature dishes made with the lavender herb, such as meat dishes, or you can add lavender butter into cupcakes and other desserts.  Melt some butter and culinary lavender and dip artichoke leaves in this aromatic mixture.  Try a purple signature drink:  instead of passing out champagne, give your guests the purple passion for your toast.  Simply take your regular champagne, add a splash of blue grape juice and a small handful of blueberries.

Purple is passionate, and its many beautiful hues are ideal for creating a passionate, loving, and fresh wedding.

Location, location, location – the word that will be constantly on your mind in the early stages of planning a wedding. Venue choice is probably the most important decision you’ll make about your wedding day – apart from deciding to tie the knot in the first place. These days, the possibilities are endless. The Marriage Act of 1994 changed the face of wedding locations, allowing ceremonies to be performed in buildings other than churches and registry offices.

Since then, almost every stately home, hotel or any place that has the commodities for a wedding can become ‘approved premises’ with a licence to marry. Civil ceremonies now make up 68% of marriages, only 32% of couples getting hitched in a traditional church. So, you could walk around a city and eye up the appealing buildings or stop to enquire at a beautiful country manor house – nearly everywhere is a potential spot for the big day.

So, how can you begin to narrow down this seemingly endless list of options? Well, knowing what kind of wedding you want is the place to start: small or large, expensive or budget, traditional or whacky – all of these concepts will affect the location. With this in mind, here are the five basic categories that wedding venues appear under. Choosing one of these will rule out at least four-fifths of the possibilities!

Traditional

There are still 32% out there taking the traditional route down the aisle. With many beautiful churches in the UK – grand and quaint, rural and urban – there will be one to suit whatever budget you’ve worked out. Maybe this is the way you’ve always imagined the wedding, ever since you started dating. There is something comforting in the familiarity of this setting – a building where you’ll know the same ceremony has been performed many times over the centuries. The only drawback is you will then need to choose another location for the reception!

Historical

Although churches could also be classed as historical, there is something intrinsically romantic about an old castle or tumbled-down mansion. Usually in the middle of the countryside with extensive grounds, these places will add an extra interest for your guests, with secret corners and gardens to explore. The architecture will also be fascinating – in the only way century-old buildings can be.

Personal Locations

It’s always worth considering locations that mean something special to you as a couple. People find love in shopping centres, parks and all sorts of everyday places. But if you can think of somewhere that is significant to your relationship, why not see if they can host your wedding? It will make a great story during the speeches.

Exotic

Ever popular is the far-away holiday wedding. This is a rather expensive option, and you might be a bit scarce on guests because the travel is such an expense. But the south of France or the Mediterranean can actually be extremely cheap to fly to from the UK and there are many absolutely gorgeous locations there. Saying your vows on warm sand while the sun sets over a calm ocean is a pretty unforgettable image.

Unusual

If none of the above locations are wacky enough for you, there are plenty of completely bizarre places to get hitched. In mid-air, under water – if you’re going for a truly unique celebration, it’s amazing what possibilities you can find. It will certainly be a memorable day this way – for you and everyone else.

Whether in an ancient village church or a Hawaiian beach hut, make sure you choose the right place that suits you both!

Color, color, color.  Weddings today are all about shades, tones, and hues – not of white and variations thereof.  Brides are bringing their favorite colors into their weddings as integral components of the décor, flowers, the cake, the favors, and even the invitations.  They are no longer mere accents for white; they are making their own stand.  Two of the most popular are pink and chocolate wedding colors.  How can you incorporate these two colors into your wedding?

Pink has been a perennial favorite; it’s the color of young love, blushes, innocence, and romance.  But brown has been largely neglected until only recently. Today, though, many brides are turning to this forgotten color, especially in conjunction with pink.  It is rich, versatile, and depending on your chosen shade, it brings wonderful class and elegance to a wedding.  A chocolate dress with pink sash for a bridesmaid, for example, creates a rich, sophisticated look that will work to contrast beautifully with the white of your dress.

Chocolate and pink have been used frequently in weddings of late, and some experts say that it has been overused.  Should you still go with it for your wedding color scheme?  If you love the colors, and especially the contrast between them, then yes.  They are still tremendously popular – because they are so versatile and endearing. They can also be worked to create fresh, new looks.  2010 is the year of mocha, which is lighter than chocolate, and blush pink.  We are also seeing mocha, coral, and ivory, as well as chocolate and hot pink or fuchsia. These are excellent choices for spring weddings, and many brides incorporate ivory and other neutrals as well.

Dresses from Dessy.com

When using your colors in your ceremony and reception, do not go wild with matching flowers, ribbons, sashes, bridesmaid dresses, groomsmen vests and ties, tablecloths, napkins, and centerpieces.  Your guests will have had more chocolate and pink than they care for by the end of the day.  Instead, start with five of the most important elements of your wedding: the gowns and suits of the wedding party, invitations, flowers, cake, and your pink and chocolate wedding favors, to incorporate your colors subtly.

With the bridal bouquet, for instance, you do not have to have a bunch of pink flowers tied with a brown ribbon.  A look that is too “matchy” can be off-putting.  A beautiful choice may be a bouquet of pink garden roses, Avalanche roses (which are large white roses) dark green leaves, rosy pink celosia, or cockscomb, and chocolate cosmos.  You can tie this with an ivory or champagne, or chocolate ribbon.  You can incorporate more chocolate by wearing a rich sash with your dress.

Your bridesmaids will look simply stunning in a brown dress and tightly grouped bouquet of cream flowers.  The groomsmen cannot go wrong with chocolate vests, and patterns, simple vertical stripes, for instance, can help add visual interest and a dynamic appearance.

Extend the colors to your reception, but remember to incorporate some other tones for contrast: for instance, you can drape tables with alternating overlays, creating a delicious mix of these hues.  Centerpieces will look wonderful with hints of pale green and peach.  Chocolate and pink are ideal for cakes, and you can make a masterpiece with brown fondant and pink accents.  Many brides are choosing chocolate backgrounds with fun pink polka dots or stripes, elegant flowers, or graceful swirls.  You may want to consider a candy buffet as well so guests can satisfy their craving for sweet treats after seeing such lovely shades of chocolate and pink .

Chocolate and pink bring together wonderful symbolism for the modern bride: we have the innocence and femininity of pink, combined with the sophisticated, yet warm, tones of brown.  Your wedding is a day to indulge your fantasies, and chocolate is always the ultimate indulgence.

Wedding Announcements

There are lots of reasons you probably won’t be able to invite all of your friends and family to your wedding! Some of the reasons include: yours is a destination wedding, budget constraints, the venue can only accommodate so many, or… you simply desire a “small and intimate” affair.

Even such, you can still include long-lost family and friends with a fun Wedding Announcement, customized in the spirit of your wedding! Without implication of gift, the purpose of a Wedding Announcement is to declare your nuptials and let those family and friends in on the happy news! And, although they are typically mailed the day of your wedding or the day after, Announcements can be sent for months after your big day.

What to include on your Wedding Announcement

Include your wedding date, a photo, new contact info… whatever you’d like. If yours is a destination wedding and you’re planning an “at home reception” then perhaps a Wedding Announcement would be the perfect way to announce the details of the party.

The design is up to you! Coordinate your Announcement with your Invitations or wedding theme or choose a design that is altogether different. I borrowed a Save the Date magnet design from MagnetStreet Weddings and used the Design Studio to customize the wording to create a unique wedding keepsake. What do you think?

Cheers and Happy Planning!

Heidi

Chances are, if you are planning a spring or summer wedding, yellow may have crossed your mind for your main colors. However, it’s sometimes tough to find a second color when it comes to yellow, because it’s such a bold color as it is. You may even be worried about the black tuxes making your yellow dresses look like a giant bumble-bee wedding. Well just like any colors, if you play your cards right, the color scheme will make your wedding party sparkle almost as much as you.

When it comes to yellow, you have two main options for yellow wedding cakes, dresses, flowers, decor and even wedding favors. There is the bright ‘mango’ or ‘daisy’ yellow or there is the subtle ’sunflower’ or ‘buttercup’ yellow. We’ve put together a couple different color scheme ideas for both yellows.

BRIGHT YELLOW
(Daisy)

LIGHT YELLOW
(Sunflower)

As you can see, the options are endless. There are plenty of colors out there, so don’t think that these are all you can come up with!

Use your ideal flowers as your inspiration. Do you think that daisies would be a beautiful choice for your bouquets? Then maybe opt for the colors you see in a daisy to really make it all work together. This is where the different shades of green may be a great contribution to your color pallet. Sometimes a bright color mixed with another bright color can be a bit much, so make sure you are seeing the whole picture when putting together all of your wedding details.

Here’s an example of how you can make the colors play together  nicely:

Overall, yellow is a gorgeous color for any seasoned wedding. When it comes to unique touches, all you need is a little creativity and a passion for making your wedding look great! There’s no doubt you can make it work, and love your photos for years to come.

Have you or a friend used yellow as a color in your/their wedding? How did you like it? Post your comments, we’d love to hear about it!

In three weeks, I’m changing my name. I’m going to work hard to walk without tripping over my yards of muslin, recite my favourite love poem from memory, and agree to be taken care of and take care of my boyfriend. In three weeks, my life is going to change. It’s an exciting prospect, but right now, my head is crammed with lists, seating charts, menus and a missing band. In short, I am a textbook case of a bride-to-be.

My fiancé and I wanted a romantic summer wedding and are trying to pull it off with just six months of planning. It shouldn’t be exceptionally challenging, but we’re both media professionals with erratic work hours. We do have an arsenal of family members to help us along, but last night, as our band cancelled, our menu changed (for the sixteenth time) and our guest list threatened to expand even more, we realised that sometimes even help in numbers isn’t necessarily a good thing. In an unexpected gesture of good faith, and hoping the resulting karma will bring us a swing band in time for the big day, I’ve decided to list the ten great ways this wedding has come together. Perhaps it will help a bride tomorrow, and hopefully by the time I finish, the menu will have finally been fixed.

From theme and personalization ideas to attire and décor, the wedding world is full of inspiration loveliness! So many incredible ideas… it almost makes me want to get married all over again! *sigh*

Newly engaged? If so, are you swimming in a sea of wedding magazines? Is your Google Reader overflowing with amazing wedding blogs? Are you feeling joyous yet overwhelmed with all the possibilities? Perhaps it’s a good time to get down to basics {I’ll explain soon}.

Your wedding invitations are the most important communication tool for your guests- reflecting the tone of your wedding as well as your colors, theme and style.  With all of today’s wedding inspiration goodness, a challenge lies in staying focused and keeping a cohesive look. Of course, it can be done~ hopefully, by the time you order your invites. 

Back to wedding planning basics. This simply involves deciphering your style and knowing what you want for your wedding day. If you stay true to your personalities and style, wedding planning will be a joy {as it should be}! You’ll have a much easier time making decisions while staying focused, consistent and true to yourselves.

Talk Amongst Yourselves

• Dream over your vision. How do you see your wedding day?
• What’s your style? Are you modern, traditional, destination, non-traditional…
• Which colors and season are you naturally drawn to?
• Is there a theme that effortlessly captures your personality and style?
• Where do you lean… rustic or metropolitan? Somewhere in between?
• What are the most important elements? {Great food. Great music. Dream dress…}
• What is your budget?

Thoughts? What other questions are worth asking?

 I’d love to hear from you,

Heidi

Save the Date image via MagnetStreet Weddings

Planning the perfect wedding is like trying to make dreams come true – very difficult to pull off or just plain impossible. For many couples, the ideal wedding is in an exotic location – perhaps it’s somewhere you’ve been hankering to visit for ages and at last you have the excuse, or maybe it’s somewhere that played a key role in your relationship.  The pressure on this once-in-a-lifetime occasion coupled with the distant location can make the process of planning it very stressful.

Here are some handy hints to take the stress out of planning a long-distance wedding:

1. Research is the key: you think you finished hitting the books in school? Far from it! The key to a successful long-distance wedding is in the preparation. Start your search by asking around for referrals. These can be from local family or family members, the Chamber of Commerce, the phonebook or online references. You won’t have easy access to potential wedding vendors, so it’s essential to make the most of your time and use an appointment system.
2. Take care of the logistical details as early as possible. This includes choosing the location and date, local caterers, the reception venue, salons and a hotel for your out-of-town guests. An inexpensive (or free) hotel shuttle service is also a big advantage. It’s essential to check with the city about local marriage requirements – there’s no greater dampener on wedding plans than delayed residency requirements and waiting periods.
3. Accept any offers of a helping hand. If it is at all possible, hire a wedding planner in your chosen destination. Their knowledge of the city will be invaluable, and they will be an indispensable resource for sourcing venues and vendors. When meeting local wedding planners for the first time, it’s important to ascertain if they share your vision for the wedding. It’s also helpful if you’re able to get in contact with any of their previous long-distance clients.
4. Try and make at least two visits to your wedding destination in the lead up to the big day. Compile a schedule of wedding vendors, venues and planners to visit – as you won’t have a minute to spare! Visiting the destination in advance will help keep the stress levels under control, and will also help make sure you’re getting exactly what you want for your wedding.
5. Choose a place that is special for you and your partner. Don’t plan a long-distance wedding to make friends or family happy! It’s your big day, and yourchoice of dream location, whether it’s the other side of the world or in your home town. With more and more couples meeting over the internet through online dating, picking a location for the wedding day can be even trickier, but ultimately it’s a decision you will have to make together. There is always the option of having a second, informal reception on your return, which allows a compromise between cities or even countries.

So, whether you’ve been dating in your home town and wish to sample more exotic climates for your special occasion, or you’ve maintained a long-distance relationship where you’ve been separated by borders and just want to simplify the whole thing by finally getting hitched to start your life together, or if you’re an international couple that have met and been dating in Bristol, Boston, Berlin and want to take it that one step further – a long-distance wedding could be on the cards. Just get planning soon!

Everyone wants their wedding to have a unique look and feel to it~ something that is truly special and memorable. Sounds good right… but how? The key…is to create a signature style~ a look that’s all your own. It’s achieved by personalizing your wedding in such a way that it leaves an indelible impression on your guests. Let’s start at the beginning.

Lead with your wedding colors! A palette of 2-4 colors will be the tie that binds your wedding look. Then, incorporate design and accent elements that support the look and feel you’re going for. Sprinkle them throughout your wedding~ from the Save the Dates, to your wedding website and Invitations, to your attire and decor. Your goal is to create a look that is consistent and cohesive and that melds with your personal style.

Consider the mood you want to create… For instance, a vintage feel is enhanced by wearing an heirloom gown and decorating the venue to resemble a different era or perhaps a love of roses would be the perfect theme to center a whimsical garden wedding around. In other words, marry the mood you want to achieve with stylish elements specific to your wedding theme. Carry those elements throughout each aspect of your wedding. Your thoughtful and consistent attention to the details will communicate your style and leave an experience for your guests! {I get inspired just thinking about the possibilities and know that each wedding can truly be unique.}

 Cheers to Creating Your Signature Style!

~Heidi