Entries Tagged 'Wedding' ↓

For those of you following the Today Throws a Martha Stewart Wedding series, you know Friday is the big day!

Here’s a rundown of what’s going on…

Friday Cody and Jessica will exchange their vows live on national TV.  Following the ceremony the couple will celebrate “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” – a reception hosted for the first time ever by Tiffany & Co., the heralded Fifth Avenue flagship store.

Martha Stewart with her team of experts got together to design the “perfect wedding.”  But, America got to pick the details of the wedding.  Here’s what America chose:

- Wedding Rings:  The couple’s wedding rings are designed by De Beers; The Delight Diamond Wedding Band for Jessica and The Platinum Wide Court men’s band for Cody.

- The Wedding Dress: Jessica’s dress is a ball gown designed by Reem Acra with intricate hand beading and embroidery and a full chapel-length train.

- The Bridesmaid Dresses: The bridesmaid’s dresses are brightly-colored ginger dresses that fall just below the knee and are designed by Watters & Watters.

- The Groomsmen Suits:  The groomsmen will be wearing a two-button suit in heather grey cashmere flannel with a white cotton broadcloth shirt and point collar designed by Michael Kors.

- The Wedding Cake: The cake is a Sylvia Weinstock Cakes creation with sugar flower bouquets that reflect the colors of the wedding décor.

So checkout NBC on Friday morning to see how it goes!

This Just In!  Jenny Yoo is coming to LA!  I love her bridesmaid dresses, check them out!

UnveilingBridal SoireeIntroducing ou

Who said bridesmaid dresses all have to be the same?  People come in all sizes and have different tastes.  So, why not let your bridesmaids choose a dress that fits them but also fits your wedding theme?  Checkout these beautiful dresses again from Jenny Yoo!

Where are you getting your bridesmaid dresses? What do you think of letting your bridesmaids choose their style?

See you tomorrow!

Rhonda

Sorry, no top-5 this week. I looked around and decided I’d be better off waiting for next week. If anyone found any good ones they want to share, please do!

So anyway, sticking to the staying married for a long time theme, I did read on Weddingbee about the “Longest Married” dance some people are doing at their wedding instead of the bouquet toss. Has anybody heard about this or seen it done?

Here’s how it works, all the married couples are called out to the dance floor then the DJ will ask people married less than a certain number of years to get off the dance floor. This progresses to higher and higher years until the couple married the longest is left. Then the bride presents her bouquet to that couple.

Seems like a nice break with tradition. What do you think?

I found a video on YouTube of one of these dances, you might want to jump to around the 3:30 mark on the video. The beginning is just the dj talking about something. (You have to click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdLYfmIgTjU

And finally to end the week an inspirational video from Louisiana…

Have a great weekend!
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Rhonda
Our Wedding Plus

While researching yesterday’s Secrets of a Happy Marriage post, I found another cute article that you might find interesting. This one is from 2005, its about Percy and Florence Arrowsmith who hold the world record for the longest marriage…eighty years!!!! They also hold the world record for the highest aggregate age…205 years at the time of the article!!! What an inspiration!

So how did they do it? According to them…

The secrets of the world’s longest marriage are don’t sleep on an argument, always share a kiss and hold hands before going to bed.

Florence Arrowsmith said, “He can’t settle down if I’m not holding his hand”

If you want to see the entire article click here!

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Rhonda
Our Wedding Plus

That’s what we all want, right? When focused on planning a great wedding it may be easy to forget that the important part happens after the wedding…the rest of your lives together.

Sharing your life with your spouse can be one of life’s greatest satisfactions. Unfortunately, many marriages don’t last that long in spite of the fact that everyone goes into their marriage with the best of intentions.

So, what is the problem? Why do so many couples that are so much in love on their wedding day, wind up mortal enemies?

The bottom line is marriage takes work. Even the best of marriages take work. If you go into it without that expectation you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

What is “work”? It is a lot of things, but it includes, commitment, investment, giving, respecting, and enjoying. It may sound easy in the beginning, but when life hits you in the face…bills, kids, illness, and a lot more that you will never expect…things can get real difficult.

But don’t despair, it can be done, as proven by the couples interviewed in this article, “7 Secrets to a long – and happy marriage.” This is a great article, which I printed out and hung on our refrigerator! I recommend you do too! It’s never too early to start thinking about this.

These 7-Secrets came out of a project conducted by two bachelors who traveled around the country talking to “Marriage Masters,” people married more than 40 years, to find out what the secrets are to their long marriages.

They also wrote a book called Project Everlasting: Two Bachelors Discover the Secrets of Americas Greatest Marriages which sounds pretty interesting, I’m going to try to check it out. If anyone else has read it I’d love to hear about it.

Anyway, I found this video on youtube. It shows the highlights of a couple as they go through 60 years of marriage. It must have been an exciting journey they shared. It demonstrates what I think life is all about.

So anyway…as you stress over your wedding plans, don’t forget this is just the beginning of a long journey. Invest some time and energy to make it a long and happy one!

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Rhonda
Our Wedding Plus

Hi everyone, I’m back from a great week in Boulder, Colorado. We took this picture of the “Flat Irons” at Chautauqua Park. What a beautiful place! My husband was there for a class and I went along. We did some hiking, horseback riding and a lot of eating! I was initially gung-ho to find a yoga studio, which I did, but never seemed to make it there. But I did also find a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and a few other great places for desert which I was able to make it to about twice a day! Sorry, I didn’t post a “top-5 wedding blog post” last week. Got pretty busy being away. Anyway, I did find out some interesting Colorado wedding facts.

Did you know…

Colorado is the cheapest and easiest places to get married in the US? No blood test, no waiting period, no pre-marital counseling, no residency requirement and it only costs $10. Combine this with one of nature’s most beautiful backdrops and you can have an amazingly beautiful wedding pretty easily and cheaply!

I’ll post a little this week about some of the great places in Boulder, Colorado to get married and some ideas to try to make any wedding affordable anywhere. So, stay tuned!

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Rhonda

Our Wedding Plus

There are some rituals that American Culture associates with weddings, which a few of us embrace happily (if not blindly), and many of us look at and say: “What is that about, anyway?”

Let’s look at some of our classic American wedding traditions, and learn what they’re all about, and how to approach them consciously and sustainably…

THE BRIDE IS ESCORTED BY HER FATHER:

If it weren’t for the Hallmark nature of it, this tradition would not have survived feminism. A daddy’s girl myself, I certainly understand the appeal. However, the tradition of being escorted down the isle by ones father has come directly from times past when the bride was given into marriage, as property, from one man (her father) to the next (her husband). This symbolism shows a troubling disconnect with our modern ideals of egalitarian partnership.

This is not to imply that it is misogynistic to dream of marching to Cannon in D on Papa’s arm, but consider that there are alternatives:

Some brides walk alone; some walk with their mother and their father; others have the bride and the groom escorted by both parents at different points in the processional…

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE:

This is a Victorian tradition. The “something old” corresponds with the bride’s relationship to her family and her old life. The “something new” is, of course, symbolic of the couple’s new life together and their future hopes and dreams. “Something borrowed” from a happily married woman is meant to impart marital contentment on the bride; and the “something blue” represents marital fidelity.

If you’re a rabbit foot on the rearview kind of bride, you may identify with this ritual. And, of course, including handed-down family heirlooms and borrowed articles in you wedding attire can be a sentimental and eco-friendly approach (just source the ‘new’ item thoughtfully).

Again, there is a little age-old sexism here if you scratch the surface. This ritual is traditionally about the woman’s transition into her new life (her husband’s life)… And, as of yet, we’ve very few grooms following suite with such metamorphic symbolism. Perhaps both halves of any duo could use some good luck charms?

THE WHITE GOWN:

Thank you Queen Victoria! Apparently this Royal abandon court tradition and created a lasting following when, instead of the customary silver gown of a queen, she chose to wear white on her wedding day.

The color white has maintained its reputation as a symbol of purity and virginity, and is often associated with brides and weddings for this reason. However, with the changing face of marrying couples: maturity; remarriage; and same sex marriage; the stigma of premarital sex is virtually a thing of the past.

Before the dawn of the white wedding, all a bride had to do was wear her ‘Sunday best’ to the chapel. Today, more and more women are splurging on knock’em dead gowns in a rainbow of hues… Opting for something stunning, even comfortable, and from a sustainability perspective, reusable!

WEARING FLOWERS:

Doth he wear his lady’s colors? In medieval times, knights wore colored flowers to symbolize their affection for a particular lady. Boutonnieres and bouquets have long been used as decorative symbolism in weddings. Today, we use flowers to decorate and to honor the members of our wedding party or closest family. Flowers and colors can be read to have meaning, from the promise of health and good luck to subtle messages of passion or faithfulness. Orange blossoms can signify purity, daisies are associated with loyalty, violets: the ever modest flower, and of course, the red rose of true love.

Consider local, seasonal flowers for your wedding. Tropical lilies for San Francisco in July might be lovely to look at, but is it worth the plane flight they took to get there? And what chemicals were they sprayed with to preserve their beauty?

If you are against cut flowers altogether, look into live plant options for décor. And always consider gifting or donating your left over arrangements…

WEARING RINGS:

Spouses wear wedding rings as an outward symbol of their commitment to marital fidelity. The tradition purportedly began in Egypt where the endless circle of a ring was symbolic of an eternal bond, while the open center symbolized an opening to the unknown future.

This tradition was later adopted by the Greeks, after Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BC. Up to this time, engagement rings were usually made from natural materials on hand, such as leather, bone, hemp rope or ivory. The early Romans’ material of preference was iron, instigating the tradition of metal rings. Precious metal rings were rare, and became a particular symbol of trust… more pointedly, that a man could trust his wife with his valuables.

The “ring finger” commonly refers to the “fourth” digit, (next to the pinky). Wedding rings are traditionally worn on the left hand. This is a relatively new trend, however. During the 17th century, the English sometimes placed the ring on the thumb, and the Gauls and Britons wore their rings on the middle finger.

The Latin, “vena amoris”, translated as vein of love, refers too the belief that this vein ran directly from the fourth finger to the heart. The wedding band was placed there to signify everlasting love.

The engagement ring is traditionally worn only by the betrothed woman, as a symbol that she has been promised to one and is not to be courted by other men. The modern romance of a marriage proposal has kept the symbolic gift of the engagement ring going strong, but not every woman wears a ring before she is wed.

As you buy rings, think about sourcing conflict free diamonds, or forego diamonds in favor of another precious stone or jewel. Inquire as to where your materials came from and try to use a jeweler who sources from responsible miners. See greenKarat or Brilliant Earth.

THROWING RICE:

Throwing rice at the newlyweds is an old tradition. Rice was considered a “life giving” seed and so it was superstitiously thrown on the couple to ensure fertility. Rice throwing has gone out of favor in the last couple of decades, and has been linked to a (false) rumor that grains of dry rice can kill birds as they expand in their tiny stomachs. More realistically, rice creates a giant mess and many venues prohibit the ritual for that reason. If you enjoy this tradition of fanfare, consider having guests throw rose petals or bird-seed (but beware, one talented slugger in the crowd, and you may have birdseed in your hair for the rest of the evening!).

INTRODUCING THE WEDDING PARTY

Introducing the newlyweds and their wedding party is a popular modern tradition. This ritual usually happens just after the guests are seated for dinner, before the food served or toasts are made.

This is an introduction of the couple’s nearest and dearest, their wedding party, to their families and guests. Each member of the party makes an entrance, and finally, the bride and groom are called in, with name changes if applicable. This final introduction, especially, marks the couple’s transition into marriage. The announcement is usually made by a DJ or MC.

From a greening perspective, this ritual also justifies saving paper by forgoing programs for the ceremony!

CUTTING THE CAKE

The tradition of a “wedding cake” evolved from literally breaking bread over the bride’s head, and sharing the crumbs with the guests. Later it manifested as elaborately stacked sweet rolls to be shared among the guests, and finally, to a cake, a symbolic ‘breaking of bread’ between the partners, with their family and friends. The traditional cake cutting ceremony is characteristically the first task that bride and groom perform together as husband and wife. They cut first piece of cake together.

Into the 19^th century, serving “bride’s cake” or “bride’s pie” was exclusively delegated to the bride. She would cut the cake and distributed it to her guests. Cake cutting became more complicated with early multi-tiered cakes, because the icing had to be hard enough to support the cake’s own weight. This necessitated cake cutting as a joint project, and made room for a symbolism of partnership and shared responsibility.

After the cake cutting ceremony, the couple feed each other the first slice. This intimate and often fun-loving ritual symbolizes the couple’s commitment to provide for one another.

Looking for organic cake? Try Miette, in the Ferry Building, San Francisco.

THE GARTER AND THE BOUQUET:

It is said that the garter once represented the virginal girdle. When the groom removed the garter he was symbolically making a public announcement about the brides change in virginal status.

In the 17th and 18 centuries, today’s garter was a silk sash tied below the bride’s knee. The groomsmen considered the sash a trophy. Whoever got a hold of it would wear it in his hat for the remainder of the celebration.

Today, there is often a theatrical component following the bouquet and garter toss, where a single woman, having caught the bride’s bouquet, has the garter placed on her own leg by the single man who caught the garter… This can get a little burlesque!

Some modern brides feel that the bouquet and garter ritual is distasteful, because it puts single women on the spot. Others forgo the tradition because of stories of children or older guests getting trampled in the toss and scramble.

If you enjoy the tradition, consider the fate of your tossed bouquet. The bride may want to hoist a bridesmaid’s bouquet into the hungry crowd, and preserve her own.

[Posted by Nelle Johnston, ZahZoom.com]

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Okay, I know I’m getting old! While writing tuesday’s post about Super 8 movies I came to the realization that the average bride and groom doesn’t remember when Super 8 was the only way to make home movies. Today I’m reminded that the average bride and groom probably never had to use vinyl records! Now that .mp3s are commonplace I predict CD’s will soon be forgotten! Making custom play lists with iTunes has become so easy that the iPod is starting to replace DJ!

From a green wedding standpoint, it’s nice to see the move away from using plastic and vinyl to an all digital version.

More and more couples are turning to their iPod to handle the DJ role at their wedding, allowing them to save around $1,000 in the process. A lot of couples have spent a lot of time building their .mp3 music collection; they know the music they like. So why not cut out the middle man and just hook up their iPod to a sound system and let it play?

Just a few suggestions if you decide to go this route…

Remember the music is not only for you, include songs that will have a wide appeal in addition to your personal favorites.

Ask a friend to help out in the Master of Ceremony role..they don’t necessarily have to do a lot of talking like a DJ would but maybe just make introductions, announcements, etc to keep the evening moving.
Keep in mind, you might have to rent a sound system to plug your iPod into if your venue doesn’t have one available.

But, I wouldn’t count the DJ out, if you want well-timed music and that extra boost to ensure the crowd stays involved you may still need a DJ.

Share your wedding music experiences! Have you been to an iPod wedding?

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Rhonda
Our Wedding Plus

A couple weeks ago I wrote about signature drinks for your wedding. Well I found a site that will make picking a signature drink that perfectly matches your wedding theme and colors a piece of cake or in my case a cupcake! Check out Stirrings.com. On their site you can find drinks that match your wedding’s color scheme. They have resources to print labels to make custom stirrers and templates to print custom drink menus! Stirrings sells the mix for all the drinks they mention. You can coordinate with your caterer or banquet hall to order Stirrings mixers.

If you are looking for wedding favor ideas they have those! They sell 4oz. versions of the drink mixes you chose for your signature drink. They even have customizable tags with the recipe for your signature drink you can download!

Here are some ideas from Stirrings.com to help the budget conscious couple…

Instead of an open bar offer only beer, wine, champagne, and one signature drink that you name and tie into the theme of the wedding.

Put a pitcher of cocktails on each table and let your guests do the pouring.

Create a Mojito bar. Put out the Stirrings Mojito Mix, rum, club soda, and garnish like mint leaves, cherries, pineapples and other fruits and let your guests mix their own drinks. (Check out their Bloody Mary ideas for a morning or brunch event)

This is just a sample of some of the unique drink ideas you can find on Stirrings.com. They have ideas for any event, not just weddings. All their mixes can be ordered online!

Check back in tomorrow for more unique wedding ideas!

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Rhonda
http://www.ourweddingplus.com/