Nov 16: The poor groomsmen. Destined to spend the day in a rented tux, rented shoes, and all they get to show for it is the usual cufflinks or a money clip. Along comes…The Recycled Cassette Tape Necktie, perfect for the creative bride and groom trying to go green for their ceremony. Jenny from WEDDINGISTAS.COM found these and posted them. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Sept 18: Speaking of groomsmen’s gifts, Sarah of MYWEDDING.COM posted all sorts of ideas in Give Your Groomsmen VIP Gifts in a posting in mid-September. Again, some are traditional, like monogrammed keychains and flasks, but some show a modern twist, like the keychain that’s actually a memory stick. Do I have to wait for a wedding to get one of these? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Nov 19: Enough about the boys. JUNEBUG WEDDINGS posts some really great ideas for Bridal Shower Themes, How-Tos and Recipes, including this one playing off the colors of orchids. Or what about this one, with sunny oranges? This would chase away the blahs in January or February… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Nov 17: Taking color cues from the season—and the fact that glitter and metallics are everywhere—THE PERFECT PALETTE suggested gold and white for a wedding inspiration board this week in Walking in a Winter Wonderland: Gold & White. Aren’t the gold bridesmaids’ dresses beautiful? So elegant, and a beautiful way to dress for the season. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Nov 19: The doctor is IN: Sad to say, some brides and grooms make it all the way to the altar (and beyond!) without answering some fundamental questions about why they’re getting married and what’s important to them as a couple. Something as simple as the name-change question can bring out all sorts of issues between two people. DIVASANDWEDDINGS.COM has a starter-list of 11 Questions to Ask before you get Married. I say starter, because entire Greek tragedies have been written about something as simple as who is in the wedding party. Working down the list with honest answers will probably resolve a lot more than just the color palette. Good Luck! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Nov 19: The DIY project for this week: Snow White Dove cake toppers. Katie Hatch, Style Director for MARTHASTEWART.COM blogged about these easy-to-do cake toppers, and included a link to the directions. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… I’ve got Stars in my Eyes… Nov 19: Tom Brady dishes about his wedding to Gisele Bundchen in the December issue of GQ, noted by a posting in CELEBRITYWEDDINGBUZZ.COM. For someone who’s an NFL superstar, he’s nicely down-to-earth: “The thing about it is, the day’s for you. It’s nothing personal against anybody, but it’s not about them. It’s about what you and your wife need for that day.” Recite that quote to your in-laws, or turn it into your new mantra. BTW, check out Gisele’s gown. Daring, yes? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… At last…the CONTESTS + GIVEAWAYS!! Nov 20: SNIPPET & INK has enthusiastically posted Discounts, Giveaways, Etc. that lists some very interesting opportunities. Give it a look… And be sure to take a moment to click on the OmniBride CONTESTS + GIVEAWAYS link to keep up to date on more opportunities: She who hesitates has lost…out!

Last week, I got carried away by all the pretty new wedding dresses. To temper my enthusiasm this week, I’ve found a couple of Trash-the-Dress posts…I’m not sure when this started, but it makes me think of old John Cougar Mellenkamp videos. The concept is the brides (or brides and grooms) put on their wedding duds and pose for a wedding photographer, just like the day of the ceremony, except this time it’s okay to get the dress muddy/wet/torn/whatever. Like I said, old rock videos begin playing from the depths of my brain.

Nov 9: In Trashing the Dress is really just an excuse to wear your dress again,  HONEY BEE WEDDINGS posts a link to a slideshow of some beautiful shots of couples having fun…now that the need has passed to keep their white dresses white.

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Feb 2, 2009: There are older posts about the Trash the Dress “vice” by photographers themselves. Here is a great article from CAPTURE THE LOVE’s Michael Soo looking at the practice through the lens of the photographer…including a cute, must-see, behind-the-scenes video.

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Oct 6, 2009: Sean and Mel of MCLELLANBLOG.COM had an image featured on television in Trash the Dress (and one of our images!) on the Today Show.

Actually, I have mixed feelings about this. The photos of happy couples in lakes, muddy barnyards and the Desert Southwest are beautiful and share their sense of humor. But some of the photos start to look like crime scene photos from CSI, and I just can’t shake that creepy feeling. Searching key phrase “Trash the Dress” on OmniBride.com, I see lots of bridal bloggers have opinions about this too. What do you think?

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Surprise…from CONTESTS + GIVEAWAYS

Nov 9: Of course, with popularity of a trend comes the contest offering brides the service: ROCKNROLLBRIDE announced a contest in  Win * Free Trash the Dress with Erica Berger!. The entries have to be received by Nov. 22. Here is an example of a Berger Trash-the-Dress shot:

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Nov 11: Newlyweds Chandra and Derrick featured in WEDDING NOUVEAU.COM decided to get married on the lawn of her grandparents’ Texas estate. The beautiful surroundings, the groom’s suit color, and the use of the tree swings (Clever!) helped create a relaxing feeling for their very romantic wedding ceremony.

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Nov 9: INTIMATEWEDDINGS.COM reposted a project developed by Emmy at The Natural Beauty Workshop for Handmade Recipe Books as Wedding Favors.  A creative DIY-type bridesmaid probably could use the same techniques to build a shower or reception photo album for the bride. Any takers?

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Nov 8: AUSTIN WEDDING BLOG offers a tutorial for the cake-cutting ceremony. Now, if any skill in life has come naturally for me, it’s been cake cutting. This shows how to cut popular shapes of wedding cakes, and also explains a few basic rules of cake ceremony etiquette that may not be so basic.

The one part of getting married we all hate: the Paperwork!

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SOONTOBEKOO walks us through the excruciating multi-step process to change to her married name on her social security card, driver’s license and other forms. Though some of her information applies only to Changing Names in Chiiicago, I think the Illinois checklist she links to has useful information for any bride, anywhere.

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And now, a word from the groom’s point-of-view, or at least some posts that might interest the groom…

GROOMSADVICE.COM posts some hilarious and frighteningly true news about ceremonies gone wrong, or those that were never right to begin with. They also post a very good Pros & Cons of Wedding Bands vs DJs at the reception.

We’re slowly digesting the glut of information from the fall fashion week (my new motto: “Only 3 seasons behind the trends!”), and all the pictures are beautiful.

But how to shop? This is not an idle question. It takes a team, usually the mother of the bride, the maid of honor, or both, but some brides are opting to bring the fiancé, too. They must be fed a marathoner’s breakfast, because that’s the level of stamina dress-shopping requires.

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Nov 6: In What IS a Trunk Show, Anyway?, WEDDING ACES.COM explains trunk shows and how to get the most out of them. One beautiful option, from the “What do you mean, you want to sit down?” category:

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Nov 6: Keepin’ It Real… WESTSIDE WEDDING drags us along on her quest for the perfect mermaid fit in a posting Dress Shopping Part 4. Funny how some dresses can look so different in person. Funny how the photos mask the poor quality of some dresses’ finishing work. Funny how the fit and drape change when actual humans try to wear some of them.  Funny. Real Funny.

Here’s a pic of one she liked—or at least liked the fit—by Mathew Christopher Lalique.

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Next, a posting title that says it all…

Nov 7: How to get a badass wedding dress without ever having to leave the house, a posting by Celia at EASTSIDEBRIDE. She went the custom-made route, got what she wanted, bonded with her dressmaker and stayed within budget. It helps that Celia found her dressmaker via friends who had their dresses made by the same couturière, Lindsey Nelson. The finished results (hot groom not included):

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Now, a shift in focus from the bride’s dress to the bridesmaids’. Try to understand, they cannot show up naked, though that might alleviate the look of boredom on the groomsmen’s faces.

Nov 6: I’m addicted to purple. Almost any shade of purple. So maybe that’s why I really liked the photos of “Trandy’s” wedding posted in Flower Feature Friday at UTAHBRIDEBLOG.COM. The Houston couple had wanted an Asian theme, so they used several types of orchids, but stayed with the purple-hot pink color palette. The best idea: note the variety of styles of bridesmaids dresses. Though they are diverse cuts, lengths and colors (just like most bridesmaids!) they create a beautiful cohesive look with the color theme of the wedding. Each woman got to dress in a cut that suited her figure, whether zaftig or lean, athletic type.

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Okay, this one last picture explains why the French Revolution was so necessary. The caption: “Frock Horror:  St. Pucchi endless wedding dress” —brought to you by the good folks at  BRIDALWAVE.TV.

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On to accessories…

Nov 3: For the DIYers, Miss Taffy, guest blogger for BRIDAL GUIDE.COM created a great Bird Cage Veil Tutorial. She uses clear instructions, pictures, even suggestions for fit and explanations of sewing terms. Here’s the finished project:

I’d allow a full afternoon for this project, given that you may run into fitting problems. This could be a fun thing to do with the bridesmaids while they’re helping with other DIY-wedding projects.

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Nov 6: Shoes! Glorious Shoes! YOUR WEDDING DAY.COM posted shoes from Bliss Bridal Shoes. One selection of several:

But I liked these even more:

MMMMM….Sparkly. Brought to you by SECOND CITY SOIREE.COM in her blog about Shoes Off? Shoes On? when wandering about la maison. I think these are Christian Louboutin!

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Nov 3, 2008: For weddings scheduled around Thanksgiving, PAMELA YAGER has suggestions for scheduling and planning the Thanksgiving Bachelorette Party. The posting is from November 2008, but the party options are good to keep in mind for any bride in a northern clime, who may not have a chinchilla coat or Robert Pattinson to keep her warm while doing the traditional bar-hop.

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I’ve got Stars in my Eyes…

After a fashion…so to speak.

Nov 5: CELEBRITY BRIDE GUIDE breaks the stunning news in Paris Hilton Launches Wedding Shoe Line.  Leave it to Paris Hilton to turn CFMs  into bridal shoes! How many of us can walk down the aisle, let alone dance, in 4 1/2 inch heels?! See what you think.

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At last…the CONTESTS + GIVEAWAYS!!

DESTINATION WEDDINGS MAGAZINE has a contest that ends on November 15—Be Married On Us! Sweepstakes—for a free wedding at Bimini Bay Resort, Out Islands, Bahamas…go ahead and enter. You have nothing to lose but the gloom, plus the picture gives me a boost on a gray day…

Enjoy a  GREAT WEEK!

…and keep your spirits up as we, in the Northern Hemisphere, all become creatures of the night with the approaching winter.