Brooch Bouquets

 

A new twist on a traditional bridal bouquet is a brooch bouquet!

Many brides are deciding to forego the traditional floral bouquet and create something unique and memorable to carry on their wedding day.

There are so many reasons that brides are opting to carry a brooch bouquet instead of a floral bouquet.   One of the most popular reasons is that you dont have to worry if your flowers will last the entire wedding day!

Brooch bouquets are a great way to add sparkle to your wedding dress escpecially if your dress lacks beading, etc. and is a great way to incorporate a family heirloom. Also, they are a great way to keep and display your bridal bouquet long after your wedding day!

 If you are thinking of carrying a brooch bouquet you can decide if you want to make it yourself or leave it to the experts.  Keep in mind it does take a lot of time and patience to put a brooch bouquet together.  These bouquets are made with about 50-85 pins and brooches and each brooch must be hand wired in order to hold up on your wedding day.

If you want to help create the bouquet I would start collecting the brooches, pins and earrings that you want to incorporate in the bouquet and let a professional put it together for you!  If you are thinking about carrying a brooch bouquet we would love to hear about it!

Happy Planning!

Sources: www.greenweddingshoes.com, www.designmevintage.com, www.greenweddingshoes.com, www.fancypantsweddings.com

Different Bridesmaid Dresses

A growing trend I absolutely love is having bridesmaids wear different dresses!

One of the most popular ways to have bridesmaids wear different dresses is for the bride to choose the fabric as well as the color and let the girls choose the shape they feel most comfortable in.  This allows the bridesmaids to pick out a shape that flatters their body but still providing continuity between the girls by having them all in the same fabric and color.

Another way to make your bridesmaids wear something different is to ask your girls to pick their own bridesmaid dresses!   To be honest, when I first heard about this trend I thought it would never work…..how could they choose their own dresses and still look good standing next to each other?   I think the key to this is to make sure you as the bride are specific in what they can wear.  Depending on the look and feel of the wedding you can decide how different you want their dresses to be.

My suggestion would be to give them an overall feeling for the wedding and what type of dresses you think will complement that style.  Give the girls a certain color palette and decide how creative you want them to be.  For example, ask all of your girls to pick a tea length dress in any shade of blue.  Make sure you let them know what styles or colors you don’t like so they are clear on your likes and dislikes before they begin their search.

If you want them to really show their own personality and style you can give them a couple of colors that go along with the wedding and let them choose the style and look.  I say this is your wedding so even though you are giving them some creativity you can be as involved as you feel necessary and ultimately make the final decision.  In the end your girls will feel confident and comfortable in the dress they chose and look fabulous!

If you are thinking about asking your girls to wear different bridesmaid dresses we would love to hear about it!

Sources: www.sdweddinginsider.com, www.people.com, www.thebrideofoklahoma.com, www.ruffledblog.com, www.stylemepretty.com

I Am Not the Only Bride at My Venue?

Are you upset there may be another event on your wedding day?

If you answered yes, you must first consider the type of venue you are wanting to have your ceremony/reception at.  Are you visiting a private facility, a golf club, museum or botanical garden?  This may mean asking a few more questions than what is listed above to understand what other things may be going on during your ceremony/reception.  For many venues having your wedding as the only event that day is not a possibility.

For example, if it is a space open to the public like a museum or botanical garden make sure to ask about their hours and how your event will be affected.   If you are getting married on a Saturday in the middle of the day you will typically have customers walking around during your ceremony.  Ask yourself if that would bother you?  If you are looking at a golf club venue then you should expect to see golfers around while your ceremony is in progress. Keep in mind that many golf courses do not close until it is dark outside.

Make sure to ask how the process works when having more than one event.   If you are a bride that wants to make sure there is no other bride or event on your wedding day then make that known to the venue you are going to see.  Sometimes to ensure you are the only event you must rent the entire facility.  Some venues have more than one event but have a very good process of making sure that each event is not affected by the other.   At Glendalough Manor, they accomplish this by having a facility coordinator there who does their best to ensure that each event is not affected by the other except for shared spaces like the bathrooms and the bar.

 

Most facilities can walk you through the timeline of events and discuss any concerns you may have.   Decide if this is important to you and in the end if you are totally against another event being there or if seeing another bride will ruin your wedding day then I would keep looking until you are comfortable!

 Sources: www.gatorbride.com, www.ladivacucina.blogspot.com, www.telegraph.co.uk