My little sister is engaged! Of course we all knew it was going to happen, but still, here we are. The date is set for 11/11/11 and my mother is already buried in a flurry of wedding magazines and ideas. You would think that although she has already gone through the marriage of one daughter-one daughter who, by the way, actually does this for a living she would feel calm and ready but no… She actually said to me, “Oh, I don’t know if those colors will work.” Amazing, mothers were defiantly created to encourage you and never let your head get too big all at the same time. Bravissimo mom, but I digress...

Having a big sister that is a wedding designer is rather convenient, but even I, older sister and professional cannot dictate some of the choices that must be made. Casual or formal? Indoors or out? Large or small? Grandiose or simple? These are the questions that each new bride is faced with and often times they have barley had the opportunity to let the engagement sink in before the race of finding a venue begins. For my sister Kate, and many other brides, some decisions are made simply based on personality or taste and practicality. For instance, by nature my sister is a “push the limits of fashion” kind of woman. (She glued glitter to her pocketbooks and wore heavy eyeliner before those fads were ever even thought of in Paris or Milan!) For her, certain venues are simply not workable due to their very structure. She is looking for a fashion forward, peacock feather laden type of event in which not one single rose will be found. To look at a garden venue would not only be a waste of time for her, but also for the ever hopeful venue manager. For some brides, budgetary concerns may dictate venue choice and many other aspects of their Big Day. From the get-go, my suggestion to brides is to be practical. Yes, this is your special day, but be careful not to set your sights too high, least you fall, and remember your theme. When faced with many different venue options, color schemes, flower choices and cake flavors, a couple can become overwhelmed and start making decisions just to get items ticked off the list. Push your personal limits a bit if you must but never go so far outside your comfort zone that you, a person who loathes the color orange, finds yourself surrounded by bridesmaids clad in the bright color because you watched one too many episodes of Million Dollar Wedding. To quote the Genie in Aladdin, “BEEEEEE yourself!” Remember who you and your fiancé are and created a happy “marriage” of the two styles to achieve a look you both will love.

Along these same lines, be sure to heed the advice of well meaning loved ones, but never forget this is Your day. I often comment to brides that for every opinion they have about their wedding, someone else has three more. A person (to remain nameless) actually suggested that my sister wear my wedding dress simply because we still have it and she is having a time finding the dress. Now, although beautiful, my A-line, champagne colored frock would look as ridiculous on her as I would in a leopard print mini skirt. My dress says nothing about my sister and only holds memories of my Big Day, which in truth was really not long ago enough for us to even consider using the same gown. Although well meaning, this suggestion was ridiculous and incensed my sister to no end. I reminded her that everyone feels differently about weddings the same way everyone feels different about pizza toppings or political parties or American Idol singers. This is life and with it comes an abundance of opinions but all-in-all it should be her and her fiancé that must feel comfortable with the outcome.

During the journey to the aisle a bride may change her mind many times and feel overwhelmed at the possibilities and choices before them. In fact, I have seen a bride change her entire theme 3 months before the wedding after reading an article and deciding she was on the wrong track-this is not a practice I would recommend. My own sister has been engaged for four months and has over a year to go and has changed her venue three times; however she has yet to place a deposit one one. Confusion of this nature is to be expected and, as long as the changes are not causing the loss of much money or delaying the course of events, are good ways to decide what you truly want. Now, having said that, it is best to get these changes out of the way early in the game to avoid the loss of deposits or the annoyance of every wedding professional in town. Do your homework and make informed decisions. If you have never felt any particular feelings towards sand dollars but suddenly want to stick them in every bouquet, boutonnière and centerpiece then take a step back and breathe. Is this real? Do you suddenly have a real affection for the dried fruits of the sea or is it simply a fad that will pass? Talk your whims over with your planner and use them as a sounding board for possible changes and ideas. You are paying them to not only keep you on track but to also remind you of your original ideas of the perfect wedding, you know the ideas you had before you knew that handing tying 1,000 ribbons to the branches of a historic Oak tree was even a possibility…


Brittany is the owner of Orchid Island Events, a wedding design and coordination company based out of Carolina Beach, NC. Orchid Island specializes in wedding planning for areas such as Wilmington, Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure Beaches, NC. She enjoys turning moments into memories on the Carolina Coast and invites you to gain ideas for your Big Day by visiting the Orchid Island website at http://www.orchidislandevents.com/

History Lesson: The Bouquet Toss, A Bachelor Dinner and a Flying Garter

Weddings are history in the making. The beginning of one family and the continuation of others, a wedding is a celebration of traditions old and new and are a platform for couples to showcase who they are.

While acting as planner for a wedding this past May, I noticed that the bride seemed to have a strong resistance to anything that even slightly resembled tradition. Strict instructions were given to my team: no bouquet toss, no garter throwing and absolutely, positively no special cake cutting. As a planner it is my job to make sure that the couple’s wishes (whenever not hideously ridiculous or outside the confines of the Law) are met. Even I agree that the garter toss recipient and the bouquet toss recipient should not be forced to dance together and when a groom smashes caked into a bride's perfectly painted mouth I want to faint. It was this super modern couple that got my wheels turning concerning age old wedding habits. Where did these activities come from and why, for goodness sake, do they often require people to chunk lovely items in mid air and hope that someone catches them? So, armed with a piqued sense of curiosity and a hot apricot tea (in my Minnie Mouse gets Married mug of course) I set out on a research journey. You just may be surprised at what this wedding planner’s fast typing fingers discovered…

· The Bouquet Toss…This tradition actually dates back to the fourteenth century when brides were considered to be covered in luck on their wedding day. Single women would vie for a piece of the bride’s gown hoping to take home a piece of her luck. This often times ended in a tattered and torn gown not to mention a bruised up bride! Brides began to rebel against the destruction of their dresses and began throwing stockings or garters at the crowd until they could exit unaccosted. Eventually the custom became the flowering tossing event know today. I recommend having your florist make a “toss bouquet” for this activity so that your precious bundle can be saved and not ripped to bits by all those single ladies gunning for your luck!
· The Garter Toss: An offshoot of the bouquet toss, the tossing of the garter was used to feign off the advances of luck hungry women and smooch hungry men! Once again considered lucky, men would fight to snatch a kiss from the new bride, a habit that new groom did not think much of. Men began removing the garter from the leg of his bride to show ownership and throwing it to his ravenous cohorts to save his new wife from Lord knows what. The tradition continues today and often follows the tossing of the bridal bouquet.
· The Bachelor Party: Originally known as the bachelor dinner or stag party, the bachelor party goes back to the early days of Sparta and the Spartans love of any reason to party. An engaged Spartan man would be treated to an evening of feasting and drinking as his friends (and often fellow military men) would toast to his new life. Although now known to often involve risque behavior, the bachelor dinner was originally created to allow the groom an opportunity to release pre-wedding jitters. Eventually women decided they needed to shake off some jitters too and thus produced the birth of the bachelorette party.

Of course there are many more traditions that need to be explained. But, if I spilled all the beans here, you would not have a reason to return and read more! Stay tuned to The Bride’s Book Blog for our next history lesson which will include the odd history behind the bridal party, the reason flowers became a vital part of the event and how the wedding cake evolved from a loaf of bread to the artistic creations we have today. Class dismissed!

My Wedding Day!

I wanted to share my big day with the readers of The Bride’s Book. I don’t think I can put into words the way I felt that day. I was excited, anxious, emotional, and tired. It took a year and four months to plan our wedding and it felt like it flew by in 20 minutes. The night was a blur. I look back now at our photographs and think “Was that really us?” It is all surreal. I have a feeling once we get our video back that is when reality will hit that it was us and that it was real.



We were so fortunate to have a warm sunny day. Our ceremony was outside on the Mississippi River in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. Our reception was inside at Mississippi Dunes Golf Course. Twenty minutes before the ceremony began my youngest sister drew blood by ripping open her leg on a broken couch! I was getting ready to pack up our stuff to head to the hospital for stitches when my extremely brave and tough sister Macy requested super glue to close the wound! If anyone knows Macy, this is typical. Oh the stories, this one being one we laugh about now. Especially since the bridesmaid dresses were above the knee and in some pictures the wound is quite showy!



I didn’t trip coming up the aisle in grass! However, I was waiting on a golfer yelling “FOUR” and someone getting hit by a ball. Our ceremony site was right next to a par 3 green! I want to apologize to our guests for the ceremony starting about 10 minutes late. The unwarranted construction caused some guests to arrive late. Including my Uncle, who met me just feet before the aisle and he wanted to stop and talk. Excuse me Uncle, Go and SIT DOWN. Again, love and laughs.

I’m a detailed person, so details at the reception were my favorite. I’m so in love with any Damask print. That was shown in my wedding and now has carried over to my house! We showed our excitement for cupcakes in our cupcake tower! The Candy Bar was a huge hit with the guests and made for a fun favor. In my opinion, my florist, Saba Flowers, could not have captured my idea of a centerpiece more accurately. And Brides, I believe any florist can do such a better, stress-free job when you pick flowers that are IN season. I did just that and the flowers were luscious and gorgeous and lasted for days! If anyone read my last blog post, I talked about the 350 lemons. They did a great job at the wedding! And afterwards, quenched much of my family’s thirst freshly squeezed!







Keith and I chose “When you got a Good Thing” off of Lady Antebellum’s second CD. This may have been my favorite moment of the evening. It was really the first chance Keith and I got to spend a second or two alone and take in the meaning of that day. I wish I could have frozen time in that moment. Eventually I got teased for having a weak throw in my bouquet toss. One special dance we had was the Anniversary Dance. I had seen this at weddings before, but every married couple is on the dance floor and the DJ plays a slow song and dismisses couples by years of marriage. Finally the last couple standing was my grandparents married for 50 years!



At the end of the evening I was so happy, but exhausted. It took me 30 minutes to take the bobby pins out of my head! Now in the weeks after the wedding, my favorite thing to do is look back at the photos my photographer, Kate Botwinski was able to show me. I can’t get enough of them! Brides, cherish your photos. These are pieces of art that you will have forever! I am completely in love with mine.

Thank you Bride’s Book for letting me share my big day with you! We love to hear about our reader’s weddings and see their pictures! Please share with us on our facebook page!

-Mia Mauer - Acct Executive with The Bride's Book

Two Days Out!

To all of our beautiful brides, “I understand.” I understand the drama, the excitement, the stress, the happiness, and most of all the utmost craziness of planning a wedding. I am two days out from my big day and it makes me think the last year and four months have been a big whirlwind. I take a lot of pride in being organized and getting a lot of planning done in advance. Well I hit reality hard. It doesn’t matter how much you do in advance or how organized you are, when planning a wedding there is just so much you have to do in your last two weeks! When it comes to head counts, food choices, and seating arrangements you are at the mercy of your guests. You can’t get any of that nailed down until you hear from you guests or track them down! Stressful.

But then you get to enjoy the other side of planning. The laughing and the nonsense. I have been very fortunate to have wonderful vendors, just like the North Carolina vendors I get to work with every day. They have made planning the wedding very simple. Online resources have been a key to my planning success. How convenient it was to sit at home and enjoy dinner while planning a big Minnesota event that was 6 months away! My colors are black, white and yellow. Of course I’ve searched for all things yellow! I had to have lemons in my arrangements and my florist happily agreed as long as a got them and brought them. Here is a picture of my mom and our purchase of 329 lemons! Thank goodness for flatbed carts!
I am so anxious to see every detail come together. I believe every piece is gorgeous, but I can’t fathom everything all together. Our ceremony is outdoors, so I have been checking the weather ever since the internet can post a 10 day forecast. Accurate or not, 10% rain has sent me to tears on day 9! But I took a deep breath and 0% appeared the next day. Have faith.

My biggest piece of advice to future brides is to enjoy. Enjoy the fun moments and have faith in your closest supporters to get you through the “not-so-fun” moments. Bottom-line, this is going to be the most memorable day for your life and your fiancé will be stunned. Have full confidence that you are the most gorgeous bride to walk this earth and show your guests one heck of a time.

Ps: If you ever need to vent, I completely understand! Throw it at me!

With Love,

Mia

The Bride's Book

Account Executive Western Carolina and Triad Area

Creative Bridal and Wedding Portraits

Image from Kiss the Groom

Image from Kiss the Groom

I saw this wedding on Kiss the Groom a couple of weeks back and threw a handful of images into an inspiration folder on my computer. While going back through them looking for inspiration, it struck me. This gal isn't doing a day after shoot. She was on that horse during ON her wedding day! Note the ceremony arch and guests in the background. That's freaking awesome!

Image from Kiss the Groom

So it got me thinking. Why is it that brides put so much time and energy into customizing their wedding celebration only to default to safe, standard bridal portraits? Especially with such mad wedding photography talent available. Wedding photography has come a long way and you can find plenty that look a stunning as editorial shoots in a magazine.

Image from Style Me Pretty

Image from Two Ring Studios

OK, let me take a step back here and say that traditional, classic portraiture will stand the test of time and won't look dated in 10, 20, or 30 years. And classic portraiture is wonderful in is own way. But why not also embrace your own personality and tap into your photographer's creativity? To truly capture your wedding story, I suggest you consider doing both.

Image from Kiss the Groom

Image from Style Me Pretty

I'm not talking about a Trash the Dress (TTD) session. I'm talking about rocking the dress and highlighting your style and personality, while taking full advantage of your photographer's talents.

Image from Two Ring Studios

So how creative would you be willing to get with your pictures on your wedding day? What would best express your personal style and creativity?

MWAH!
~The Hindsight Bride

The Unexpected…A Classic Look at a Rustic Venue

This week's featured company is Engaging Events in Mount Pleasant, SC. A returning advertiser for the Bride's Book Magazine & www.thebridesbook.com.

Engaging Events is a wedding planning service offering consultation, coordination and design services. Lead by Consultant Cindy Zingerella, Engaging Events guides couples through the wedding planning process, creating a wedding and reception that reflects their distinct personality and sense of Style. Our expertise with design and décor enables us to add creative elements to each affair resulting in a unique event for each of our clients.

Here's a sample of their work from a wedding done this past March at Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant, SC

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Heather and Antony were married at beautiful Boone Hall Plantation . The backdrop being the breathtaking avenue of Oaks was…

…Such a romantic setting for a romantic couple!

Their ceremony location was not one of the typical locations clients choose at Boone Hall but since they were hosting such an intimate affair, the lawn area near the historic slave homes was the perfect spot. Here, they could capture all the beauty of the Avenue of Oaks.

The Unexpected….

The design and decor was a bit of the unexpected at the Cotton Dock at Boone Hall Plantation.

Heather and Antony loved the crisp clean look of a white wedding- so we added a bit of platinum to set it off.

However, the crystal chandeliers, and cafe lighting mixed with the white fabric draping was a bit different from what you would typically

see at that location…but it worked sooooo well! This was definitely one of our favorites!

Our florist, Judy, fashioned several styles of centerpieces to keep each table unique and interesting.

Here you see a moss covered tray with white dendrobium orchids at varying heights.

We would like to thank Lowcountry Photojournalism for the great photography, Snyder Party Rentals for the Tables, Chairs & linens, Duvall Catering for the Fabulous food and of course…

Heather & Antony for letting us be a part of such a special time in their lives!

All the fabric draping, chandeliers, and gorgeous flowers are Engaging Events creations- thanks Team!

www.engagingeventscharleston.com

Brides in Boots

Image from Para Ti Nova Blog

In addition to being a Hindsight Bride, I am a consummate mountain girl. I've lived in the mountains most of my life, so I've spend a fair about of time in boots. Not cowboy boots necessarily, but snow boots, hiking boots, ski boots, rain boots, rock climbing booties.

Image from 100 Layer Cake

When I was considering shoes for our wedding, I noticed an old pair of my mother-in-law's hiking boots in the entryway. I had worn them before when I had forgotten my own boots on visits. We are a hiking family. When the mood strikes, we are apt to go for an impromptu hike at any time. More than a few time I ended up hiking in her boots.

Photo from the Hindsight Bride

They're fairly retro looking, and by retro I mean cool. I asked how old the boots were, thinking it might be fun to represent my new family by walking down the aisle in my mother-in-law's hiking boots. When she told me that she got the boots in the 80's and they were the very first gift she had received from her husband when they were dating, the deal was sealed. I wore my mother-in-laws hiking boots down the aisle (see above). So, today's post is a tribute to all the brides in boots out there.

Image from WNC Photographer Portrait of You Photography

Cowboy boots are an obvious choice for many mountain and country brides. I can totally see an old pair of cowboy boots having great sentimental value. Perhaps you were wearing your cowboy boots when you met, or perhaps you can wear your mother's or mother-in-law's boots.

Image from Style Me Pretty

Living close to Asheville, I am reminded that cowboy boots don't have to be all country and horsey. Here Two Ring Studios captures an urban cowboy vibe for this Brides Book photo shoot.

Image courtesy WNC Photographer Two Ring Studios via The Brides Book

Of course there are many options beyond cowboy boots out there. Little white lace Victorian booties are a lovely detail for a vintage wedding, and high leather riding boots add English country charm to an country estate inspired wedding. I like to remind people that western North Carolina is not always about horse farms and rustic barns. The Biltmore and The Grove Park Inn both offer grand, nineteenth century elegance for the vintage bride or classic European country charm the old world country bride.

Image courtesy WNC Photographer Blend Photography


Image from Green Wedding Shoes

Boots can also express parts of your personality. Maybe your a desert bohemian bride, industrial chic bride, or practical chic bride who lives in her Uggs--rain or shine. The point is to find a style that suits you.

Image from Style Me Pretty

Image from Elizabeth Anne Designs

Image from Perfect Bound

And of course, boots are at their core infinitely practical. Snowy weather, rainy weather and the call of the ski slopes all call for a different boot. My advice is to not be afraid to wear a functional boot with your wedding gown.

Image from Charlotte Geary Photography


Image from My Kate Parker Wedding

Image from Catherine Hall Photography

Unique Ways to Wear your Mother's Dress

Will You Wear your Mother's Dress?

Image from Elly B Events

This bride did! And oh how absolutely gorgeous! No? But not every bride can fit into her mother's dress. Or sometimes the mother's dress does not fully survive the passage of time. Or, not every bride wants to wear her mother's gown; she wants her own.

Remember when Khloe Kardashian married Lamar Odum after a whirlwind three week engagement. Remember how excited her mother was to help her plan? Remember when her mother pulled out her own wedding gown, carefully preserved and offered it to Khloe. Remember when Khloe laughed at it, making her mother cry? And remember when sister Kim tried on the gown and showed their mother, trying to lighten the mood and appease their mother?

Image from MyStyle.com

When I saw that episode, my heart went out to the mom. She had carefully and lovingly preserved her gown with the thought that, one day, one of them would want to wear it. On the other hand, I'm not sure *I'd* be terribly excited about donning that big poufy frock either. It's sooooo 80s, and not necessarily in a good way...at least not yet. (We might have to give it another 10 years or so before that kind of 80s retro comes back into vogue.)

Nonetheless, many brides like the idea of somehow incorporating their mother's dress into their wedding. So what's a bride and her mother to do if it just that simple? A few ideas have surfaced across the wedding blogosphere. Check out how these real brides got creative with their moms' wedding gowns.

From The Brides Cafe

"Jennifer had a seamstress take the lace from her mother's wedding gown to make a cover for the bible used at the ceremony!"

From WeddingBee Pro:

"Jenny's lovely gown was custom-made at L'ezu Atelier in Beverly Hills. The rosette on the neckline and lace along the back of the dress were salvaged from her mother's wedding gown."

From Perfect Bound:

"The bride, although smitten with her Vera Wang gown, also chose to wear her mother's wedding gown for the latter part of the reception. The vintage lace tea length dress was handmade by her mother's grandmother in 1962."

And the Mother of them all! From the Southwestern Bride:

"The Bride had a Lazaro Gown and had a seamstress in Beaumont create several heirloom pieces from her mother’s wedding gown. Her veil was custom made with the appliqué’s that were on her mother’s veil, and the lace that trimmed the train on her gown lined the entire outside edge of my veil..."

"...The Bride [also] shortened the length of her mother’s wedding gown and wore it when they left their reception."

"Handkerchiefs for the Brides sister and godsister, mother, mother-in-law and herself were made out of extra lace from her mothers gown."

So if you or your mother have long envisioned that you walking down the aisle in her dress, but it's just not feasible, think outside the box, and consider incorporating her dress in other ways.

Wearing White is a Choice, So is Wearing Color!

A few months back, I wrote a post on Hindsight Bride about wedding trends I was loving. The very first trend I was lovin' was colorful dresses. By and large, I found most of those images on more offbeat and indy sites. But oh how things have changed in a few short months !

Image from Martha Stewart Weddings

Case in point. The mainstream maven of beauty and elegance, Martha Stewart, has this month featured a sweet, colorful, NYC, Carnival-themed wedding in her print magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings. In typical Martha fashion, it was beautiful, with every detail meticulously and creatively attended to. However, what was atypical was the brides dress. A gorgeous peach-colored, couture gown. Let me say that again, a peach-colored...ok, that's it, nuff said.

Color is everywhere! And not just on the runway, but also in the blogoshphere, donned by real brides. Some real brides are wearing just a blush of pale color. Pale pinks, champagnes, and dusty blues overlayed with white lace all make elegant and romantic gowns.

Image from the RecycledBride.com


Image from WeddingWindow.com



Image From Elizabeth Ann Designs

Other real brides are going for a stronger pop of color:

Image from 100 Layer Cake

And still others go for a classic, little black dress look:

Image from A Mountain Bride

Now that's not to say the runway isn't popping withcolro! Vera's Spring 2010 collection was full of color:

Above Image block from Vera Wang Weddings

And her fall collection continues to add interest to the classically white gown by incorporating bold black accents. I just love the black gloves!

Above Three Images from Vera Wang Weddings

So if you're the type of bride that has trouble wearing white--which, let's face it, is a hard color for many of us to wear--or if you just want to add interest to your gown, consider wearing a gown with some color. Whether soft pale romantic colors, or big bold modern colors, it is no longer so difficult to find a wedding gown in a color other than white.