This blog details my wedding planning process over the next 14 months and offers ideas and tips for others as they plan their own wedding or special event.
I'm really not a big fan of cake toppers. Most of the ones I've seen are gaudy and take away from the beauty of the cake. However, I do have a soft spot for using initials as a cake topper. Either the single letter to represent the last name or three initials to represent the first names of the bride and groom and their new last name. It's simple and elegant.
Although, if you're interested in a bride/groom cake topper, weddingstar.com has a lot of creative variations of the traditional figurine.
"Motorcycle Getaway"
"Showered With Love"
Recently, I've come across several sites that create custom wedding cake toppers. Most of them resemble charicatures and distorted bobble heads. It's kind of fun, but they look incredibly awkward and juvenile on top of a cake. You can email the company a photo of you and your fiance, and they will customize the faces of the cake topper to resemble your own. Next, choose the skin, hair, and eye colors, and you're good to go. Be prepared to drop a pretty hefty sum. Toppers created through microdwarf.com average about $180-$200. You can even add a figurine of your pet(s) for $50 more.
So, I'm not really at the point where I need to choose my flowers, but it's been really fun entertaining different ideas over the past few months. I don't consider myself very traditional, so I know roses just aren't the right flower for me. There's a home near my parents' house that always has the most beautiful, bright blue hydrangeas in their front yard during the summer, and since my sister's wedding in July 2009, I have really liked the idea of hydrangeas in bridal bouquets.
Hydrangea centerpieces
The hydrangea is a relatively simple flower with dozens of compact blooms in a naturally rounded cluster on each stem. The groupings of the bloom clusters make for a very full, well-rounded bouquet. The clusters of bloom usually range in size from two to three inches across, and larger variations of the flower can grow upwards of six to seven inches across. The individual blossoms are symmetrical and resemble a rounded star shape. In addition, hydrangeas have a lovely, light smell that won't overpower you or your guests on the big day. The best thing about hydrangeas? They bloom in a wide range of colors and are at their peak beginning in early spring into the early months of fall, making them suitable for a wide range of color palettes and weddings that range from April to late September.
Black-and-white anemone bouquet
After watching an episode of David Tutera's My Fair Wedding, I have also come to love the anemone, especially the black-and-white variation. In folklore, the anemone supposedly signifies anticipation, so what better flower to accompany you down the aisle? Like hydrangeas, anemones are also in season for several months. You can purchase anemones through your florist usually any time between November and June.
Well, after months of debate and consideration, I have finally decided on my wedding photographer. Being an amateur photographer myself, I knew this would be a difficult decision for me. It took me months to decide on the photographer who would take my senior photos, so I knew choosing a wedding photographer would be even more trying. So who's the lucky winner? Dan Philips Photography out of Cedar Falls, IA.
A few tips for choosing a wedding photographer:
Attend some bridal shows, and do some meet and greets with a few area photographers.
Do some online research and try to narrow down your options by looking at photographer websites.
Define your style. What kind of photos do you want to capture your big day? Do you like traditional wedding photography or a more photo-journalistic style?
Ultimately, you have to "like" your photographer and have some sort of relationship with them. Make sure your ideas and goals coincide with those of your photographer.
Ask questions! What do their packages include? Can you customize your own photography package? What types of technology do they use? What are your rights to the finished photos after the wedding?
Do you want special effects and alterations done to your photos? Check to see if this is an option with the photographers you are looking into and ask to see a portfolio of their work.
Ask for references from past clients. Some photographers provide testimonials on their website. Ask if you can get in touch with the couples featured on the site to ask them more in-depth questions.
Ask how many photographers will be present at your event, and make sure you are meeting someone who will definitely be photographing your wedding. (It's ideal to have at least two photographers).
Get everything in writing.
Don't settle. It's your day, and your photographer should conform to your needs and wants.
The Knot also provides some great tips for choosing a photographer.
I’ve already attended my fair share of bridal fairs in Eastern Iowa. January - March seems to be the peak season for these events in order to precede the summer wedding rush. For those of you who have attended bridal fairs, or those who plan on attended some in the future, I offer just a few suggestions and tips:
For those of you getting married in Iowa, sign up for a FREE Iowa Bridal Planner, and bring it with you when you attend fairs.
If you don't have a planner, bring a notebook or some other device that allows you to take notes. Even if you do not choose to go with any of the vendors, you are likely to encounter a lot of great ideas that you can DIY at a much lower cost. Also, many shows offer free bags to collect business cards and brochures, but be prepared with your own folder or bag in case they are not provided for you.
“Couple cards” are a new trend I recently saw featured in the spring 2011 issue of get married. For those vendors you have a serious interest in, consider creating couple cards with your names, phone number, email, address, and a photo of you and your future hubby to help people remember you. Trust me, your hand is going to get really tired from writing down all of that information on all of those forms at the vendors’ booths. Make it a little easier on you. The vendor will appreciate not having to interpret handwriting that can be difficult to read (especially with email addresses). Shop.getmarried.com offers many different themes for personalized couple cards, but I suggest looking into vistaprint.com for possible less-expensive options.
Check to see if your venue (or preferred venue) hosts their own bridal show. Many venues host these events and offer great prize packages associated with the venue and their preferred vendors.
While it’s fun to sign-up for all of those great prizes and gifts, you also have to be somewhat cautious in the types of personal information you are handing over. Don’t write down a phone number unless necessary, or if you are serious about a specific vendor. Unless you want your inbox flooded with wedding emails that will eventually become irrelevant, create a new email address specifically for these events so you can delete the account after your wedding.
Although it is good to attend bridal fairs to get ideas and tips, try to attend fairs that are located in the area you plan on hosting your ceremony and reception. If you fall in love with the services of a vendor at a show, keep in mind that they may not be able to offer you the same services due to travel restrictions.
Although there are many great vendors at these events, keep in mind that they are not the only ones you have to choose from. You are by no means limited to the typical vendors that show up for these fairs. Many of the bridal fair vendors are on the more expensive side, since they have the funds available to purchase a booth at the event and other forms of promotion. Some of the best vendors don’t pursue this type of publicity, so you may have to network with other local brides to hear word-of-mouth promotion. Websites such as weddingmapper.com also offer great “real bride” testimonials and ratings for various vendors.
Since I’ve done a couple posts about dresses, I thought it would only be fair to write one just for the guys -- tuxes! Can I just say, I hate bow ties, tailcoats, and white tuxes? Basically, anything your father would have worn for his wedding, should probably be updated for your own post-1980s nuptials.
Khaki suits have become a recent trend among grooms; however, these seem to work best for casual, beach weddings. In my case, my groom is needing something a bit more formal. We did some tux browsing online at Milroy’s Tuxedos (which, by the way, is infinitely more boring than dress shopping online) and came across the 2011 Calvin Klein collection. Thankfully, Alex was drawn to this contemporary, two-button, Grey Legend tux. I really like the added touch of the satin edges. An added bonus: the grey would coordinate with our wedding colors. Now the real question is…purple vest/tie or matching grey?
Thank goodness Alex wasn't drawn to this little number
Think bridal fairs are just for brides? In January, I attended the Northeast Iowa Bridal Fair at Heartland Acres in Independence and was able to reserve the "Grey Legend" tux style for Alex and his groomsmen at the 2011 price for our 2012 wedding through Eschen’s Clothing.
One of the biggest trends in weddings is transforming the look of a dress from ceremony to reception. Many brides are also opting to allow their bridesmaids to wear different dress styles. I discovered the “twist dress” by Dessy Group via a Facebook ad. As soon as I changed my relationship status from “In a Relationship” to “Engaged,” the right side of my Facebook profile blew up with wedding-related ads. A majority of the ads are not applicable to me, but I was intrigued by this ad after seeing twist dresses on David Tutera’s My Fair Wedding. Among changes to the ceremony and reception, Tutera frequently changes both the bride’s and the bridesmaids’ dresses. In several recent episodes, Tutera has opted for different versions of the twist dress.
I know a lot of brides say they want their bridesmaids to purchase dresses that they can wear again, but let’s be honest, how many of those dresses do we ever take back out of the closet? Depending on the number of weddings you’ve been in, it starts to look a little like Katherine Heigl’s closet in 27 Dresses. The twist dress is one of the few bridesmaid styles I have seen where I can truly picture someone wearing the dress on multiple occasions. The dress can be twisted into an elegant, ceremony-worthy style, but quickly transformed into a fun party/reception look. The jersey material and a more relaxed, fun twist allows this dress to double for date nights and other less formal affairs. Watch the video below to see some of the twistable styles.
The twist dress from Dessy Group comes in both full and cocktail lengths, allowing the bride to achieve different looks based on the theme and location of her wedding. I really like the cocktail-length version, because I can see this style worn after a wedding more so than the full-length version of the dress. I am definitely considering the twist dress as a possibility for my bridesmaids, but I’m not sure which style would coincide best with the overall look and feel I want to achieve.
The twist dress is available in 22 different colors in a washable matte jersey fabric. Based on the color swatches, a bride would almost certainly be able to find an approriate shade (I personally prefer the “concord” shade). There are a couple downsides to this dress, however. I’m not sure if any bridal boutiques offer this dress or similar styles in their stores. It would be difficult to decide on a bridesmaid dress without allowing your bridesmaids to try it on first. The different twistable options don’t necessarily guarantee that the dress will be flattering to all body types. The dress sizes also range from XS (0-4) to 2X (26-28), but a size 0 and a size 4 are two very different sizes. As far as dresses are concerned, I prefer to get a customized size based on my exact measurements.
If you're like me, and you're not sure if the twist dress is for you, you can purchase a sample-on-loan dress for $35 (either cocktail or full-length) in your color choice. However, the sample must be sent back within 48 hours with the pre-paid shipping label.
I’m sure many of those who are planning a wedding have encountered David Tutera, the infamous celebrity wedding planner . Though I’m sure most of us have never actually been to a Tutera wedding, many have felt transported to his events via My Fair Wedding, a WE tv original series in which Tutera lends his expertise to non-celebrity brides. Tutera shows up just three weeks before the selected bride’s wedding and essentially turns everything around. Many brides think they know what they want on their big day, but sometimes we all can get carried away. Colors clash. Themes collide. Brides meltdown. Although Tutera deals with a lot of brides that have very outlandish ideas, we can all learn some valuable tips from his sense of organization and his outstanding coordination skills.
My mother actually got me to watch this show. I’ve never really been enthused by reality television -- especially not wedding-related reality TV. However, after being hassled into watching a few episodes, I became addicted. It’s absolutely amazing how Tutera is able to work with and revise the bride’s original vision (or lack thereof) and create a truly remarkable, celebrity-worthy event. I’ve seen him execute outrageous wedding themes, such as Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, and pirate-inspired. Somehow, they’ve all turned out classy and original.
So, naturally, as soon as I learned there was an open casting call for this show, I jumped on the nearest computer for more information. Good news 2011 brides, WE tv is accepting applications for those getting married between April 2011 and August 2011, as well as October 2011 and November 2011. However, the couple must reside or plan on hosting their wedding in Los Angeles or New York City. Based on the episodes that I have seen, you probably need a really outrageous theme in-mind, clashing ideas, or literally no plans at all. So those of you who have a good start on planning, forget about it. However, WE tv is casting for several other new and returning wedding shows. Visit their casting site to enter!
"Chelsea"
Tutera has also launched a wedding dress collection with Faviana, a leading designer of sophisticated evening wear. The collection, David Tutera by Faviana, is a line of luxurious wedding gowns inspired by celebrity red carpet fashions. Remember Chelsea Clinton’s Vera Wang dress featured in my previous post? Tutera has designed his own version of the gown, appropriately named "Chelsea.”
Find an authorized David Tutera by Faviana dealer near you!
