Out With The Old, In With The New?

I was browsing the internet and came across this article on The Knot, 20 Wedding Traditions You Can Skip. We're constantly blogging about ways to make your ceremony and reception unique, so I thought I'd share some of the traditions mentioned in the article and my thoughts on them as well.

- A white wedding dress. The article says: white's always in style, but you have other options too. My thoughts: I completely agree, of course. For example, check out the lovely bride in the image below. However, when I get married one day, I can't imagine wearing anything other than white.

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- Seeing each other before the ceremony is a no-no. The article says: Do whatever you want! If you want to see each other before your nuptials, plan a "first look" photo shoot so you and your spouse can still have that special moment captured. My opinion: I think it depends on what works best for the timeline of your wedding day. (Check out our blog post on having a "first look".)

- Bridal jewelry has to be simple. The article says: Make as bold a statement as you want with your accessories. My thoughts: I love, love, LOVE embellished bib necklaces like the one pictured and think it would be so fun to wear something like that with a wedding dress. But, I'd be careful about looking too trendy - I don't want to look at my wedding pictures ten years later and wonder what the heck I was thinking. Also, I do like the idea of changing your accessories (or even your dress) from the ceremony to the reception.

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Check out the article for even more ideas on how to turn wedding traditions upside down!

Would you have a backyard wedding?

Woah, how is it Thanksgiving? Time flies, doesn't it? I must apologize for my lack of blogging this month. I'm sure you've all been on the edge of your seats wondering when my next post would be. ;) So without further ado, I've gotta ask: Would you have a backyard wedding?

It seems like every year brides get more and more creative about wedding planning. A traditional wedding in a religious venue and a reception in a ballroom are always great, but these days modern brides are opting for a wedding off the beaten path - whether it's in a barn, at the beach, or in a backyard. Especially given the economy's downturn in recent years, many brides and grooms choose to save their pennies by marrying at home.

Check out the married blogging couple over at YoungHouseLove, for example. As Sherry says in the blog post, "Just like everything else we do, our wedding was one giant DIY project." And don't they look like they're having fun?



Here's an adorable at-home wedding from Green Wedding Shoes. This backyard soiree is so classy it hardly looks DIY'd!



While having a wedding in someone's yard requires a lot of work and can come with complications (neighborhood noise ordinances, for instance), it can also pay off big time: a DIY backyard wedding can cost one fifth the amount of a typical wedding and reception!

So what do you think - would you save some moolah by having your wedding at home? Or would you rather go all out with a swanky ballroom affair? Maybe you're somewhere in the middle? Let us know in the comments!

Pulling Off Pink

Once upon a time I promised you, dear readers, a monthly blog post on how to style a wedding around a particular inspiration or theme. Well... suffice it to say, that didn't happen. So this time around, I make no promises. But I do have an inspiration board ready for you! Feast your eyes on what I've dubbed "Pulling Off Pink."

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To be honest I'm not a lover of pink so this was a challenge for me. But I like the idea of using pink with a vintage and/or modern twist. For example, aren't those Jackie O. style bridesmaid dresses to-die-for? And those pink chair covers are so romantic. I really like the idea of hanging chandeliers everywhere, and maybe accenting your pink with blue, yellow, black & white, or gray. Especially gray!

Of course, you can also use pink in your invitations, table signs & centerpieces, escort cards, the groom's & groomsmen's ties, and more. As always, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination. If you have any unique "pink" ideas to share, let us know in the comments!

When Will You Have Your "First Look"?

An age-old wedding superstition is that on the wedding day, if the bride and groom see each other before the wedding ceremony, it's bad luck. Many couples today pay homage to this superstition by finding a loop hole - instead of the big reveal happening at the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom have an intimate "First Look" moment during the day, sometime before the ceremony.

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Reasons to wait until the ceremony to see your betrothed are obvious... the romance, the suspense, the anticipation! But logistically it might be better to have an intimate moment with your future spouse before the wedding, due to time constraints, or to give you and your wedding party more opportunities for pictures. And to just have a moment to yourselves before all the craziness starts.

What do you think? Would you (or did you) wait until the wedding ceremony to see your spouse-to-be? Or are you in favor of a "first look" session?

Would you register for your honeymoon?

A trend I've heard about on and off for a while now is registering for your honeymoon. That's right - in lieu of or in addition to a traditional gift registry, couples are listing their honeymoon as an item guests can donate money towards.



Would you do it? Or do you think it's tacky? Here are a few websites that offer this service:

- honeyfund.com: "A honeymoon gift registry with no set up fees, no transaction fees, and no travel purchase required."

- buy-our-honeymoon.com: You set up your honeymoon and the activities you want to experience while traveling, and assign a gift price to each activity. Guests can then pick what they want to purchase for you.

- sendusoff.com: Works similarly to the buy-our-honeymoon site. They also provide email notifications to your wedding guests, and travel suggestions for you and your spouse.

So what do you think? Is a honeymoon registry a must-have for the modern couple, or a major faux pas? Sound off in the comments!

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Bridesmaid Dresses: Love 'Em or Leave 'Em?

Have you ever seen the movie 27 Dresses? It's probably one of my favorite chick flicks, right up there with Sixteen Candles and How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Then again, maybe I just have a thing for movies with numbers in the title.

I desperately need to clean out my closet and I got to thinking about my bridesmaid dresses. There's one that I actually shortened and wore again, but the others are unmistakably bridesmaid dresses and I'd feel silly wearing them anywhere now. Granted, my situation is far from this madness...




I especially love the moments at 1:59 (Gone with the Wind), 2:52 ("Men wore dresses, women wore suits"), and 3:15 (LA wedding). But at 3:51 in this clip, when Katherine Heigl's character Jane talks about how each dress bring back memories of great times she had with her friends, I have to agree. I know I'll still have the memories regardless of whether or not the dress is taking up space in my closet. But for me, it's somewhat difficult to let go.

What about you, do you still have your old bridesmaid dresses? Did you ever have to wear anything crazy as a bridesmaid, like that cowgirl outfit for instance? And most importantly - have you ever been to a Gone with the Wind wedding? Let us know in the comments!

Veil-Less Looks

Maybe your wedding is more casual, maybe your bridal up-do is going to be a hair masterpiece, maybe the idea of a piece of gausy fabric hanging off your hair weirds you out. Regardless of your reasoning, here are some hairstyles that would look great - and still bridal - without a veil.

Headbands:
Great for short hair especially! Since brides-to-be sometimes have trouble being creative with their cropped locks, a headband is an excellent solution. And of course, you can use a headband to dress up just about any hairstyle.

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Cute!

Flowers:
Adorning your 'do with fresh flowers is oh-so-chic, don't you think? I just love the relaxed, beach-y look below.

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A gardenia is also a classic, gorgeous flower many brides use. This bride's style is gorgeous, especially with her blue-hued dress.

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Plus, gardenias are so fragrant that your groom will always remember the way you smelled when he kissed you on your wedding day. Now is that romantic or what?

Tiaras:
Want to guarantee that you'll feel like a princess on your wedding day? Wear a tiara!

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Like the headband, this can be integrated into practically any hair style, and can be worn alone or in addition to a veil.

Also, be sure to check out another Bustle Event blog post on hair accessories for more ideas.