Will You Be My...?

We were scanning Etsy and came across these fun cards - a neat way to ask your best friend/sister/brother/shoulder to cry on/ball watching/football tossing/shopping pal/beer drinking/confidant/dessert sharing buddy/etc., to stand by your side on the big day.

We found these cards through the following Etsy companies;

Greencard, GiraffeNotes, LittleLadyCompany, JenuinePaper, ekcetera, upup

Wedding Etiquette Wednesday: Attire 101

A couple was getting married, and it was only three days before the wedding. The bride calls her mother with some bad news. "Mom," she says, "I just found out that my fiance's mother has bought the exact same dress as you to wear to the wedding." The bride's mother thinks for a minute. "Don't worry," she tells her daughter. "I'll just go and buy another dress to wear to the ceremony." "But mother," says the bride, "that dress cost a fortune. What will you do with it? It's such a waste not to use it." "Who said I won't use it?" her mother asked. "I'll just wear it to the rehearsal dinner."

We've all been faced with the question, "What should I wear?" Here's a few guidelines to help break it down.

Daytime Wedding For Her - A fun floral dress - A skirt and a sweater set with beautiful shoes - A light colored suit - A beautiful hat that coordinates with your outfit

Daytime Wedding For Him - In the summertime, a light-colored suit, especially linen or seersucker - Winter weddings call for warmer clothing, including wool suits, a navy blazer with charcoal pants, and perhaps a sweater and tie underneath a blazer - A dress shirt, tie and dress pants is acceptable, but dress it up with a blazer if you can - If the invitation says formal, wear a dark suit. Tuxedoes are not appropriate before 6 pm

Evening Wedding For Her - Dress as you would if you were going out to the theater or to dinner. - A cocktail dress – nothing too sexy but something fun to dance in. Black is fine. - A dressy suit or a cocktail suit - Wear darker colors and look for something sophisticated - Avoid beads or sequins unless the invitation specifically says black tie

Evening Wedding For Him - A dark suit is always appropriate - If the invitation says casual or semi-formal, you can wear a blazer and slacks with a nice tie

Black-Tie Optional For Her - A cocktail dress, perhaps to the floor

Black-Tie Optional For Him - If you have a tuxedo, or just like wearing one, by all means do so - Otherwise, wear a dark suit. Dress as formally as you can.

Black-Tie for Her - A formal dress, usually to the floor - Bring out those beaded purses, fancy wraps and formal jewelry that's been waiting for an occasion such as this

Black-Tie For Him - A tuxedo is the only appropriate thing to wear. If it says creative black tie, he should still wear a tuxedo, perhaps with a black shirt or collarless white shirt.

DON'T WEAR: - White. (This rule has relaxed some, and you can get away with wearing a printed dress with a white background and some cream colored clothing. Just be careful not to upstage the bride.) - Black to a daytime wedding - Jeans - Anything too sexy or revealing - Anything torn, with holes, stained, too big or too small for you!

Angels Among Us

My beautiful and amazing friend of 26 years, Stephanie Houghton who is a nurse, recently visited Haiti with her fiance John Hudson who is a brain surgeon. The stories they came back with were heartbreaking, inspiring and funny at the same time (there were crazy roosters and chickens that refused to let them sleep). An article was recently written about their journey and the lives they touched. I encourage you to read it and think all the positive thoughts you can about those in need and the people that are making a difference.

I know they plan to head back in the near future so we will keep you updated. Many thanks to Stephanie and John, Project 81, the wonderful things they do and the hope they spread.

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Can we all play nice and chat?

Wedding Etiquette Wednesday - Wedding Customs and Traditions

It's fun to look back and see where wedding customs and traditions originated.

Something Old represents the link with the bride's family and the past. Many brides choose to wear a piece of antique family jewelry or a mother's or grandmother's wedding gown or handkerchief.
Something New represents good fortune and success and her hopes for a bright future in her new life. The wedding gown is often chosen as the new item.
Something Borrowed is to remind the bride that friends and family will be there for her when help is needed. "Borrowing" is especially important, since it is to come from a happily married woman, thereby lending the bride some of her own marital bliss to carry into the new union.
Something Blue is the symbol of faithfulness and loyalty.
A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe is to wish the bride wealth. Some brides still place a penny in their shoe during the marriage ceremony.

Bride On Groom's Left

Because the early Anglo Saxon groom so often had to defend his bride from would-be kidnappers, she stood to his left, leaving his sword-arm free. The "best" warrior in the tribe stood by the groom and was responsible for helping defend the bride, thus the placement for the modern day best man.

First Kiss

No ceremony is complete without the kiss. In fact, there was a time when an engagement would be null and void without one. Dating back from early Roman times, the kiss represented a legal bond that sealed all contracts. The kiss that seals the wedding is much more than a sign of affection. It has long been a token of bonding - the exchange of spirits as each partner sends a part of the self into the new spouse's soul, there to abide ever after.

The Wedding Cake

Beginning in early Roman times, the cake has been a special part of the wedding celebration. A thin loaf was broken over the bride's head at the close of the ceremony to symbolize fertility. The wheat from which it was made, symbolized fertility and the guests eagerly picked up the crumbs as good luck charms. This tradition evolved and spread to England in the Middle Ages where the guests of a wedding would bring small cakes and stack them together. Later, a clever baker decided to amass all these small cakes together, covering them with frosting. Thus, the modern tiered cake was born. The bride and groom make the first cut of the wedding cake to signify sharing their life together. Every guest then eats at least a crumb of the cake to ensure good luck.

Tossing The Bridal Bouquet

Tossing of the bridal bouquet is a custom which has its roots in England as it was believed that the bride could pass along good fortune to others. In order to obtain this fortune, spectators would try to tear away pieces of the bride's clothing and flowers. In an attempt to get away, the bride would toss her bouquet into the crowd. Tradition says that the single women who catches the bouquet is the one who receives the bride's fortune and will marry next.