Crazy Wedding Traditions

After reading my books for Wedding Planning I learned so much about wedding traditions.

*A common belief was that good luck came to those guests who managed to rip a piece of the bride's dress. Over time, brides tried to divert the attention off their dress by tossing their garter. People would chase the garter and forget about the dress. Over time, the bouquet became the item being thrown. Now, the lucky lady who catches the bouquet will be next in line to marry supposedly.

* In ancient Rome, a loaf of bread was broken over the bride's head for good luck. The guests would then eat the crumbs and wish the bride a fertile marriage. Now, the cake cutting took over this tradition. The ingredient wheat flour used in cakes symbolize fertility. The superstition is if someone else other the bride would cut the cake, the bride would remain childless.

Flowers in Season for Weddings

According to: http://weddings.weddingchannel.com/wedding-planning-ideas/wedding-flowers/articles/top-ten-seasonal-flowers.aspx?MsdVisit=1

Flowers For Spring
1. Cherry/Apple Blossom
2. Cosmos
3. Hyacinth
4. Hydrangea
5. Lilac
6. Lily of the Valley
7. Peony
8. Rose/Garden Rose
9. Sweet Pea
10. Tulip

Flowers For Summer
1. Anemone
2. Calla Lily
3. Casablanca Lily
4. Cornflower
5. Daisy/Gerber Daisy
6. Delphinium
7. Queen Anne's Lace
8. Rhododendron
9. Rose/Garden Rose
10. Stephanotis

Flowers For Autumn
1. Aster
2. Calla Lily
3. Chocolate Cosmos
4. Chrysanthemum
5. Dahlia
6. Parrot Tulips
7. Rose
8. Statice
9. Sunflower
10. Victorian Lily

Flowers For Winter
1. Amaryllis
2. Camelia
3. Freesia
4. Heather
5. Holly/Evergreen/Ivy
6. Lisianthus
7. Narcissus
8. Rose
9. Ranunculus
10. Violets

My two favorite wedding flowers are: Calla Lily and the classic White Rose.
The calla Lilly originated in Africa and symbolizes "magnificent beauty." The Rose is considered a symbol of beauty and love.

Ideas for a unique Wedding

Place cards can double as guest favors, such as a small photo holder that displays guest's name. Or use Prop "card" where the card is not a card, but a fun object like a river stone with guest name hand painted on.

Programs for ceremony can be really unique. Programs made from paper scrolls held shut with wax seals, or mini messages in a bottle.

Romantic stamps are a lovely touch that can tie in with your wedding theme.

You can consider hiring a courier to hand-deliver their invitations.

Your Body type+ Your personality= Perfect Wedding dress

Tips from http://www.gabriellanewyork.com/tips.html:

*If you have an hourglass or "curvy" figure, an A-line gown with a dropped waist and a sweetheart neckline is the perfect formula to flatter your figure. This shape will beautifully show off your waist and chest.

*If you are petite, you'll want to keep it simple by wearing a stunning sheath or modified A-line gown. Your small frame can get lost in a larger, more elaborate gown.

*If you are pear shaped, you'll want to stay away from sheath gowns and go for a gown that focuses on the top half of your body, such as a strapless ball gown or an empire waist gown.

* If you have a short waist, choose a gown that will make your body appear longer. Something fitted through the bodice, such as a dropped-waist silhouette will look gorgeous on you.

*If you have a voluptuous figure, try an A-line dress which is the easiest silhouette for most women to wear. You also have an option of a ball gown which brings the attention away from your lower half. Don't be afraid to try a strapless dress, with the correct undergarments, you will look fabulous!

*If your waist is undefined, try an Empire-waist gown, which flows from just under the bust all the way to the floor. This elongates your body and gives the appearance of a long and lean figure.

* If you are tall and thin, a ball gown will add femininity and shape to your slight figure.

*If you are short and thin, a sheath gown will be just the right dress for you.

Did I make the list?

Who is Invited to your special Day?

A wedding is a big party celebrating the union of two people in love. The guests at a wedding should be the people you can't see yourself getting married without! These people include parents, siblings, family members, the wedding party and their spouses/plus one,and close friends. Weddings have a tendency to draw people to you, people you have not seen since you were in junior high school. The "Hey am I invited," line will be exhausted by the time your date arrives. To these "Hey am I invited" group, you have to put your foot down and tell them that your guest list has been set and you cannot add anyone else. Remember the bigger the group the more money you have to shell out.

There are other dilemmas to a guest list:

*Should I invite kids?
My advice is a wedding is no place for kids to run around.

*Should I invite my mother's long list of distant relatives/friends?
It really depends if it is in your budget. Now, if mom's paying then let her invite whoever she wants (within reason).

*Should I invite her because she invited me to her wedding?
There is no written rule that states that you have to invite "suzy" to your wedding because you attended hers. Ask yourself if this is a person you consider a friend and see yourself being friends with ten years from now.

*Plus ones
One word...DRAMA. I still have a "friend" who talking to me because she did not get a plus one at my wedding. NOT EVERYONE WILL GET A PLUS 1. If you have 20 work friends you want to invite and they want to all bring a date then your guest list and budget will sky rocket. People who are married, live together, or have been in long relationships should get a plus one. The other single people, it is up to the bride and groom if they want to extend that plus 1.

Check Yourself

Wedding season is here and it is a domino effect. You get married, your cousin gets married, your friend gets married....You receive this gorgeous invitation in the mail which tells you pretty much what type of wedding it is. Mine invitation was a suede Jacket (so freaking cute) and it was a lilac color and it told my guest it was a formal affair, the colors of the wedding were soft purples, white, and silver. Now, that you have RSVP, you have to put some funds aside for the wedding-your outfit, hair, nails, accessories, shoes, and finally oh yeah a check for your friend as a present. This check can make or break friendships. Are you that guy who writes a 35 dollar check and came with five people? Are you that friend who received 200 dollars from a friend, but are only giving 50 bucks? I believe in all fairness, money should not define a friendship by no means. If your friend is not working and makes an effort to attend your wedding and can only give x amount that is fine. But the Wedding Etiquette is to cover your plate and your date and your kids as well.

What happens when you give a friend 35 dollars and they go ahead and add a zero to this amount. This is check fraud. How can you check yourself so that no one does this to you...

1. Don't leave blank spaces on the payee and amount lines.
2. "The type of pen you use makes a difference. Most ballpoint and marker inks are dye based, gel pens, like the Uniball 207 uses gel ink that contains tiny particles of color that are trapped into the paper, making check washing a lot more difficult."
3. Review and balance your bank statement as soon as you receive it to make sure the your friend cashes the right amount.
4. Just Give Cash in the first place and avoid the check situation!!!

*"Thieves steal something even more valuable than money or goods. They also steal trust."

Whose Wedding Is It Anways? by Maria Perez

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?
Some people agree that some modern day brides may not mind a guest wearing white. Especially if the modern bride might not want to wear white herself. Some websites claim that its ok as long as your dress doesn't resembles a wedding gown. But in my opinion and the opinion of most, wearing white to a wedding competes with the bride’s gown. It isn't polite and it might be taking away from the bride on her day. Lots of wedding websites are even against guests wearing pale pink, light gray, and red. Why red, you might ask? Red is an attention grabbing color. And this color may also take away from the beautiful bride. Make sure not to pick anything that might make anyone think you're the bride. You might embarrass yourself in a white outfit. But if you are set on wearing white on some one's wedding at least accessorize with some color.

Choosing your Birdal Party

The Wedding season is upon us. How do I choose my bridesmaids/maid of honors? Do I go with my sister who I don't get along with or my best friend who knows me inside and out? There is no right or wrong answer here. Here are some tips in choosing your party for your special day:



1. Choose people who are there for you and no fillers.
I made the mistake of trying to match the number of groomsmen my husband had. He had 14 in mind! I was not that popular. So I asked people who were "fillers." I quickly realized that it was becoming expensive for us. In terms of renting limos, flowers for the bridal party, and planning rehearsals was a nightmare. We quickly cut down the list to 11 and then 8. Eight still being a high number, now that I think of it, as a kid my horoscope said 3-5-8 are your lucky numbers. I got married on the 8th month on the 8th day with 8 bridesmaids-kinda cool. I know someone who is getting married and she asked me to be in her wedding. We never hung out, we hardly speak on the phone, and we are not friends. I am that person's filler. People you ask to be in your wedding need to be real friends/family members who love you, will do anything for you, and you will know 20 yrs from now!



2. Choose your Maid of Honor according to who you want.
My sister is our friend's maid of honor. This girl has sisters. Why didn't she ask them? She doesn't have to. She felt my sister would be a better fit. Ask the person you feel is crucial that they be in your wedding party. I had a hard time with this on. I have four people in my life I was contemplating. I ended up choosing both my sister and my best cousin to be the forefront of the wedding party. The priest however, needed only one to sign the book. I let them discuss that one on their own. There are no rules to this. I have even heard of a man being a "bridesmaid."



3. Choose people who will want to participate in all that involves wedding.
I chose people who I genuinely thought wanted the best for me. Most of these women did contribute all their time and money to activities being planned. The one person who never let me down was my sister, the head maid of honor, she was on it like it was her wedding. You will bear disappointments throughout this process. For example, I had a requested meet and greet for the bridesmaids and the groomsmen and only three people showed out of 16.

Does anyone have stories of how they chose their wedding party?

Planning Bachelorette Parties by Maria Perez

This past year I been planning or helping to plan many bachelorette parties. In my opinion they are fun and sometimes outrageous. But it's something that is part of the whole wedding package and stays with the bride forever. So make it count!The steps that I have taken when planning a bachelorette party are as follow:
Step #1- Bride first. Always make sure that you have some idea of what the bride wants (even if it's a surprise). For example, if your bride really dislikes strippers try to stay away from strippers. Also ask her who she wants to invite.
Step #2- Set up a budget. Find out how much the bridesmaids can contribute.
Step #3- Set a date and time that is good for most of the guests.
Step #4- Brainstorm ideas for the party. Make sure you take the bridesmaids' ideas into consideration. Think of places to go, a theme, color scheme, games,and any other ideas to make the night fun.
Step #5- When everyone agrees with the event that will take place make reservations.
Step #6- Plan a method of transportation. For my sister's bachelorette party we rented a pink SUV limo. But if it's not in your budget you should make arrangement to have a designated driver.
Step #7-Always collect the money before the day. Some of the ladies might forget their portion of the money the day of party and you wouldn't want to be stuck.
Step #8- If you picked a theme, dress and act the part. So far I been a mobster, a girl of the Moulin Rouge, and a pin-up girl from the 1940's.
Step #9- Make the night memorable for everyone, especially the bride.

Celebrity David Tutera: Wedding Scammer

Melissa Chin and Steve Choi sued David Tutera, a celebrity wedding planner and star of his own show My Fair Wedding, for getting "cold feet" the day of their wedding. Chin and Choi say they gave Tutera a $100,000 deposit and four round-trip tickets from New York to Singapore and agreed to put him up for six nights at the Shangri-La. Chin's dad claimed that Tutera wanted more money in an already expanded bugdget. The wedding budgeting at 300,000 dollar was Chin's dads limit! Chin's dad said there was no more money and to not board the plane. Tutera did just that. He later got hit with a big fat law suit. He responded by saying that Melissa Chin is a 15 minute fame starved Bridezilla. Their law suit of 200,000 dollars and Tutera's counter-suit was later dropped.
I am sure that was not the first or the last wedding he has done this to. How much longer can he get away with this?

I am in school for Wedding planning and cannot ever imagine doing this to anyone whether it is a 300,000 dollar wedding or 30,000 one! There must always be integrity for your brand. The BRAND BEING YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS, and most importantly your reputation.

Do you have a story about your wedding planner?

Maid of Honor Blues:by Maria

So let me share my wedding blues... I'm the maid of honor of my best friend's wedding. And it's a mix of feelings I'm having now. I'm so happy and honored that she picked me, but at the same time I notice that I really didn't know her family. And it's so strange when you and your sister are basically the only Hispanic people in the place (they are white). It's so different from the other joyful weddings I have participated in recently. In this wedding everything is either black or white. No shades of gray. Either they exclude me from planning or they let me plan it all with no input...The things you do for a friend. Has anyone else ever felt how I do? I got the BLUES!

Scrap Book Memories

I feel that a wedding day is one of the most important days of one's life. I for one am a wedding fanatic. I often joke with my husband how I want to get married all over again, but the truth is this day should only come once in a person's life (for some it may be two, three times). I did several things to keep these sacred memories alive. From my engagement all the way to my wedding day, I took A LOT of pictures! Luckily, when Travis proposed, my sister was there snapping every moment. During my bachelorette, my cousin, Arelis, took pictures throughout the whole night. Check out her photography page, http://solares-ojos-photography.tumblr.com/. For my Bridal Shower, Jeff, Travis' friend, who owns his own modeling agency (http://www.modelmayhem.com/511506) took pictures of everything. I was incredibly lucky to have talented photographer friends.

Today I organized two scrap books with all types of mementos from the wedding preparation, shower, bacherlorette, wedding day, and honeymoon. One is a photo book I organized through WWW.shutterfly.com. In the other one I have everything that is not really pictures like cards, invitations, the save the date, the menu from the wedding day, receipts, etc... Twenty years from now, I want to look back at all these memories and relive the whole thing all over again.

How do you plan on saving your wedding memories?

Wedding Etiquette for Bridesmaids

According to http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/31/pf/saving/willis_tips/index.htm One in 62 Americans will get married this year, and 295 million will be their wedding guests! That is a whole lot of celebration! With all this celebrating comes a lot of work. Bridesmaids be ready for an intense journey!

Rule 1: Bridesmaid should be available

If you agree to be a part of the wedding, that means more than just buying the dress and showing up for the affair. There are bridesmaid duties to be taken care of. With a wedding a bride has to plan the rehearsal dinner and wedding. Now, the bridesmaids need to plan (and most of the time pay for) the bridal shower and bachelorette party.

Rule 2 Maid of Honor has the final say over Bridesmaid

If the bride chose this particular person to be the Maid of Honor then this person is the Head of the bridal committee. Also she must do more work and often put in more money than the rest of the bridal party.

Rule 3 The Bride has the right to send you as many emails or calls/texts as she pleases.

If a bride has been emailing the bridal party, please respond in a timely fashion. If the bride chooses dates for you to make yourself available, please mark it in your planners. This is how we avoid a Bridezilla situation.

Rule 4 CASH MONEY ladies

In my opinion, if you are part of a bridal party you must pay for the following
unless the Bride has directed otherwise: Dress, shoes, accessories, nails, hair, makeup, bridal shower along with a gift from the registry, bachelorette party along with a gift for the bride, and a check the day of the wedding.

Rule 5 Don't be that complainer

There is always the Bridemaid-zilla who thinks it is her wedding or who is jealous of the fact that she isn't getting married. Do not be, I repeat DO NOT BE this girl who complains about every detail from the dress that was chosen to the color of eye shadow the makeup artists will use.

Are you having Bridesmaid drama? I wanna hear about it!