Shoes for Your Big Day

Deciding what shoes to wear to an event can be a dilemma for any woman, but even more so for a bride. Here are some shoe suggestions, so you can be stylish from head to toe on your wedding day.

Flats:
If you're a lot taller than your groom, or if you want to change into more comfortable dancing shoes, I think these are great options. The blue shoe would be great as your "something blue"! And the silver ballet flat would be perfect for a night of dancing. I was a guest of a wedding where the bride gifted her maids silver shoes similar to these to wear at the reception, so no one would be barefoot on the dancefloor (a big no-no, in my opinion!). What a great idea!

Bridal Heels:

If you want to wear shoes that are neutral but still "bridal," check out these styles. If you look in the right places, it's easy to find an elegant shoe with a fun detail that won't break the bank.

Haute Couture:
Maybe shoes are your big splurge for your wedding ensemble? Check out these stunners:

Wearing designer shoes like these, from Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin, would be amazing (at least for me)! As the glowing bride, you'll already be the envy of everyone in the room...why not make it official?

Of course, there are a ton of shoe options I haven't explored... kitten heels, super-strappy shoes, colorful pumps... But I'll have to save that for another blog post.

Wedding Etiquette: Your Questions, Answered

Planning your wedding is exciting, but it's not without its challenges. Here are a few common wedding planning questions along with a suggested answer. Feel free to comment with your own perspective!

Q: "Should I invite my co-workers to my wedding?"

A: Only invite your co-workers to your wedding if you consider them to be very good friends. Just like the rest of your guest list, think about whose presence will add to the significance of your wedding day. Send your wedding invitations to your co-workers' home addresses as opposed to hand delivering them. And of course, minimize wedding-related talk at the office.

Q: "Our guest list is out of control. How do my fiancé and I decide who to invite and who to cut?"

A: Make an A-list and a B-list. A's are family and your closest friends. B's are everyone else - high school & college friends, parents' friends, etc. Send out your A-list invites early to gauge the RSVP rate. Cut the B-list down by asking yourself questions like, When did you last speak to that person? Would having that person at your wedding make or break your experience? Also, don't feel obligated to put "and guest" on your single friends' invitations, especially if they know others at the wedding.

Q: "Is it ok to call people if I haven't received their RSVP response card?"

A: Of course! Don't assume that someone you took the time to invite isn't coming if you haven't received their card. After all, their response card could be hidden in a stack of old mail. Better safe than sorry, right?

Q: "Wedding finances are so complicated! Who is supposed to pay for what?"

A: The short answer is that you have to figure out what works best for you and your fiancé - and your families. Check out this article from mywedding.com that pretty much explains it all.

Q: "My fiancé and I are having a small wedding. How can I be sure not to offend my non-invited friends?"

A: Simply explain that that the nature of your wedding makes it impossible to invite absolutely everyone in your lives. While you can't help it if a friend's feelings get hurt, hopefully they'll look at it from your position, and will understand.

Do you have any unanswered questions about wedding etiquette? Did you navigate through a sticky situation, and want to share your experience? Let us know in the comments!

Wedding Registry Wish List

Forgive me if I sound materialistic, but one thing I can't wait to do when I get married is register for gifts! And this is not only because I love shopping. My friends and their husbands-to-be have an absolute blast selecting their registries -running around stores being goofy and romantic, while they pick out the things that will make up their new lives together. I look forward to doing the same one day.

That being said, here's my wedding registry wish list. Enjoy!

1. A Kitchen Aid, in a fun color like this one. It's going to sit on your kitchen counter anyway, so why not let it stand out?

2. Crisp, comfy sheets with some character. These are from Anthropologie and they're just begging me to curl up in them with a good book.

3. Dyson Ball Vacuum. I'd actually enjoy vacuuming if I had one of these!

4. Table lamps with some character. This Crate and Barrel lamp has a great mid-century/modern vibe.

5. Romantic bedding with a designer touch. Found this at dwellstudio. I love it because it's got a very classic look, and I think it would appeal to both men and women.

6. I don't know if couples register for china any more, but I hope so because I love this patten from Vera Wang for Wedgwood.

7. Every wine connoisseur needs a sensible wine storage unit. This one is from Pottery Barn.

8. A great way to get your latte expenses under control: make them at home! This espresso maker from Cuisinart would be a great addition to a lazy Saturday morning.

And if you're wondering, yes I realize that some items on my "wish list" are hundreds of dollars... but that's what wish lists are for! What's on yours?

Diamonds: They Never Go Out Of Style

Ok, time to talk diamonds. Specifically, diamond engagement rings. There are so many options available I can barely keep them straight! And not that there's anything wrong with the ever-classy diamond solitaire, but here are several rather unique designs showing off the latest trends.

This ring, found on the Style Me Pretty website, is called a "split shank" engagement ring. I read somewhere that the split band helps to emphasize the center stone. Added bonus - more surface area to cover in diamonds!

This gorgeous ring (and stellar photography) are from Lemongrass Photography's Facebook page. A circle of smaller diamonds encircling a larger center stone has been popular for a long time, and this ring in particular shows a modern take on that classic style.

Here's a ring you don't see every day:

A diamond in a setting like this doesn't have to be insanely large to look beautiful and draw attention. Especially in times like these when we're all pinching our pennies, antique and vintage rings can be more affordable, and have charm and character all their own.

Below is a second vintage ring I found, showing another of today's trends:

This art-deco style ring has an elaborate, highly structured setting... architectural, one might say. Again, this is one of those designs that draws attention to the center stone. Lovely.

Prepare yourself for this last one; it just might blow you away:

This humongous yellow diamond is probably something only Carrie Underwood can buy. Although they aren't for the faint of heart (or wallet), colored diamonds are sure-fire show stoppers.

All of these rings are insanely beautiful, don't you think?! Did I leave any trends out? Tell us in the comments.

Short Wedding Dresses

What do you think about wearing a short wedding dress as opposed to a floor-length gown? It seems like short dresses are all the rage these days, and as a small person myself, I like the idea. Although, us petite girls need to find the right cut and length so as not to appear even shorter... Anyway, here are a few looks I like.{source}
The gathering, the embellishments... to me, this dress is glamorous even though it's not full length.

And what about this one??{source}
This dress comes from a custom dressmaker in London. It's so 1950's and would be perfection with colorful shoes and a birdcage veil, don't you think?

And how about this dress found on Etsy:

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The ruffles make a dramatic statement and the dress is quite formal even though it's knee-length.

Have any of you out there on the world wide web worn a short dress? Or would you? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Wedding Guest: What I'm Wearing

I'm going to a high school friend's wedding this weekend, and I've been in search of the perfect spring frock for a while now. The good news is, I've found it! Even better news - I'm wearing it to the wedding! Ta da!

There's something about this dress that makes me want to get up and dance. Perhaps it's the flirty skirt. And call me crazy, but wouldn't this make a fun bridesmaid dress? I've been to a few weddings where the bridesmaids are wearing patterned dresses - sometimes matching, sometimes not - and I think it's a fun idea.

For a handbag, I'm going with this purple clutch from Target.
Not only is it under $20, but it's understated enough that it won't take attention away from my dress.

And for the shoe, I'm wearing something pretty and practical.

I know this isn't the most daring shoe you've ever seen, but I've been wanting a nude pump to wear to work, and this wedding helped justify my purchase. I toyed with the idea of getting these from J.Crew...

...but decided I didn't NEED them. But now that I think about it, these would be amazing with a floaty, romantic wedding gown, right?

Okay, I might be getting ahead of myself. Back to my main point - I'm thrilled to wear my adorable flowered dress, but what excites me even more is that my dear friend Sarah is marrying the love of her life! Congratulations, Sarah and Bob!

Do It Yourself: Programs

My friend is in the final stages of planning her wedding, and she's trying to decide how the ceremony program should look. She's very much a D.I.Y. girl, so she's looking for a program that she can put together herself (or with help from her bridesmaids!) but that looks classy and fun. So, I'm doing some preliminary research.

For an outdoor wedding, or for a wedding when it's hot out (my friend's is in July), check out these programs printed on fans.

Both types of programs are easy to customize online, or you could find a local printing shop to create them for you without busting your budget.

And here's a simple but great idea - a long rectangular program, like this one.

With a little effort and the right tools - like cardstock, a paper-cutter, and a printer - you could definitely create these on your own. Best of all, it's easy to jazz up a program like this. Just punch 2 small holes at the top and tie a ribbon through, or mount the program on another piece of cardstock to add some dimension.

Another program style you could create on your own is the bi-fold or tri-fold.

Bi-folds, if they contain more than just one sheet of paper, can be bound together with ribbon so you don't have to mess with staples. Tri-folds just have to be folded carefully into three sections.

If designing your own wedding program seems daunting, just start searching the web for pictures and templates. There are tons of ideas out there - you just have to find the one that fits you.