Some options...
Art deco style:
Sweet & sparkly:
Modern:
A pop of teal w/ peacock feathers!
Glitter in front, bow in the back:
Sep 25, 2012
Spring 2013 Wedding Trends: Belts & Sashes
Another trend that stood out from NY Fashion Week (Spring 2013) was belts over pretty, floral dresses. Re-interpreted for wedding season, I think it's safe to say that opting for a belt or sash over your gown would be a fun, current choice!
Some options...
Art deco style:
Sweet & sparkly:
Modern:
A pop of teal w/ peacock feathers!
Glitter in front, bow in the back:
Some options...
Art deco style:
Sweet & sparkly:
Modern:
A pop of teal w/ peacock feathers!
Glitter in front, bow in the back:
Sep 20, 2012
How Many Bridesmaids?
Wedding etiquette has certainly changed over the years, and while there used to be pretty strict guidelines about the size of the wedding party, they really aren't adhered to anymore. I've been to 200+ weddings with two bridesmaids, and 100 person weddings with 8 bridesmaids. There's no one-size-fits-all rule anymore... at least, not one that people abide by!
I'm actually an advocate for the "less is more" approach when it comes to your wedding party, for many reasons. Traditionally, you would have three bridesmaids for the first 150 guests, and then add on an additional bridesmaid for each additional 50. I still think that's a good starting place, plus or minus a couple, and I'll explain why:
1) It's more special. When I got married, I chose 3 bridesmaids who were important people to me from different parts of my life. One was my sister, one was my childhood best friend, and one was my closest friend from college and beyond. These three women represented different times and places in my life, and I liked the meaning behind that. There's a special honor to being someone's bridesmaid, and having an intimate group keeps it that way.
2) It's more practical. The smaller your wedding party, the less people you have to manage. Ultimately, this means less complications with choosing dresses & accessories, arranging travel, coordinating schedules, etc. Also, have you ever heard of the term "herding cats"? On the day of your wedding, getting all your bridesmaids in one spot for photos, etc. becomes increasing difficult with size... especially once the champagne starts flowing.
3) It's easier to select. I know that some people would say that having 12 bridesmaids makes it easier, because maybe that's how many really close girlfriends you have. However, I think it's easier to stick with a small group. For example, for me, picking one college friend was easier than picking two. I could pick one - she was my roommate for most of college and my closest friend - but two? How could I choose! If I chose one another friend, I'd feel bad about not choosing another. Once you've picked two college friends, the flood gates are open, and before you know it all 6 of your college besties plus your sisters plus anyone else important in your life are in your bridal party.
Of course, this is just my take. Ultimately, I think every bride should do what makes them most comfortable and happy on their big day. If having 12 maids is what you want, go for it! However, if you're on the fence and unsure about what might work best for you, I say: start small.
Couldn't have done it without these three!
I'm actually an advocate for the "less is more" approach when it comes to your wedding party, for many reasons. Traditionally, you would have three bridesmaids for the first 150 guests, and then add on an additional bridesmaid for each additional 50. I still think that's a good starting place, plus or minus a couple, and I'll explain why:
1) It's more special. When I got married, I chose 3 bridesmaids who were important people to me from different parts of my life. One was my sister, one was my childhood best friend, and one was my closest friend from college and beyond. These three women represented different times and places in my life, and I liked the meaning behind that. There's a special honor to being someone's bridesmaid, and having an intimate group keeps it that way.
2) It's more practical. The smaller your wedding party, the less people you have to manage. Ultimately, this means less complications with choosing dresses & accessories, arranging travel, coordinating schedules, etc. Also, have you ever heard of the term "herding cats"? On the day of your wedding, getting all your bridesmaids in one spot for photos, etc. becomes increasing difficult with size... especially once the champagne starts flowing.
3) It's easier to select. I know that some people would say that having 12 bridesmaids makes it easier, because maybe that's how many really close girlfriends you have. However, I think it's easier to stick with a small group. For example, for me, picking one college friend was easier than picking two. I could pick one - she was my roommate for most of college and my closest friend - but two? How could I choose! If I chose one another friend, I'd feel bad about not choosing another. Once you've picked two college friends, the flood gates are open, and before you know it all 6 of your college besties plus your sisters plus anyone else important in your life are in your bridal party.
Of course, this is just my take. Ultimately, I think every bride should do what makes them most comfortable and happy on their big day. If having 12 maids is what you want, go for it! However, if you're on the fence and unsure about what might work best for you, I say: start small.
Sep 18, 2012
Big Day Baubles
Besides the obvious jewelry (your rings!), you'll probably want a little more sparkle elsewhere as well. Of course, how much is up to you and your personal style, as well as how embellished your dress is. There's a fine line between looking too bare and blinding your guests with bling as you march down the aisle!
Some recent finds that I think would work nicely on just about any bride...
For a modern, artsy look:
For a simpler dress that needs some statement-making accessories:
For subtle sparkle on the lobes:
Some recent finds that I think would work nicely on just about any bride...
For a modern, artsy look:
For a dress that drapes and gathers, and needs a pin to pull it all together:
For subtle sparkle on the lobes:
For a nod to the '20s:
Sep 17, 2012
We're Live!
The Revelry Alliance website is up and running!
You can read all about us, and how we work, over on the site. However, to sum things up, we are a Chicago-based wedding planning service that helps to connect brides and vendors in a more efficient way.
As a bride, you can register on our site, create a profile about you and your big day, and request proposals from different types of vendors. Our vendors - an exclusive group that we have partnered with based on their quality and excellence - can then provide you with proposals based on your individual needs, budget, and vision.
Like I said, we've started things off with an amazing group of wedding vendor partners in a number of categories, including:
Caterers
J&L Catering
Entertaining Company
Truffleberry Market
Florists
Nancy Krause Floral Design
Dilly Lily
A Perfect Event
Fleur
Fragrant Design
Flowers by Stem
Photographers
Amaris Giselle Photography
David Wittig Photography
Musicians
We Unity Candle
David Rothstein Music
Stationery
Courtney Callahan
A Perfect Event
Day / Month of Wedding Planners
A Perfect Event
Estera Events
Five Grain Events
Event Design & Decor
A Perfect Event
Estera Events
Venues
Salvage One
We can personally vouch for each one of the above as being among the best at what they do. We've either worked with them ourselves, or have seen their work first hand - they are truly top-notch. Our goal is to refer our brides to the very best vendors, and also the very best vendors for them.
To learn more, visit our site or feel free to email us directly at info@revelryalliance.com - we're here to help!
Happy Planning!
Sarah & Amanda
Co-Founders, Revelry Alliance
You can read all about us, and how we work, over on the site. However, to sum things up, we are a Chicago-based wedding planning service that helps to connect brides and vendors in a more efficient way.
As a bride, you can register on our site, create a profile about you and your big day, and request proposals from different types of vendors. Our vendors - an exclusive group that we have partnered with based on their quality and excellence - can then provide you with proposals based on your individual needs, budget, and vision.
Like I said, we've started things off with an amazing group of wedding vendor partners in a number of categories, including:
Caterers
J&L Catering
Entertaining Company
Truffleberry Market
Florists
Nancy Krause Floral Design
Dilly Lily
A Perfect Event
Fleur
Fragrant Design
Flowers by Stem
Photographers
Amaris Giselle Photography
David Wittig Photography
Musicians
We Unity Candle
David Rothstein Music
Stationery
Courtney Callahan
A Perfect Event
Day / Month of Wedding Planners
A Perfect Event
Estera Events
Five Grain Events
Event Design & Decor
A Perfect Event
Estera Events
Venues
Salvage One
We can personally vouch for each one of the above as being among the best at what they do. We've either worked with them ourselves, or have seen their work first hand - they are truly top-notch. Our goal is to refer our brides to the very best vendors, and also the very best vendors for them.
To learn more, visit our site or feel free to email us directly at info@revelryalliance.com - we're here to help!
Happy Planning!
Sarah & Amanda
Co-Founders, Revelry Alliance
Sep 10, 2012
The Guest List: Part Three
Now that you've got your master guest list assembled, having pulled the lists of your significant other, their parents, and your parents together, you've probably realized that you need to do some (or a lot) of editing.
This is where the importance of designating every guest with an A, B, C priority comes in handy. However, it's still up to you to determine where to start, and this can obviously cause some friction amongst your family. Especially depending on how many people are paying for your nuptials.
The most equitable thing to do is to split the number that you need to cut (say, 40 guests), evenly among all guest list contributors. In this case, you can start by identifying 10 guests from each list (hopefully all C priority, but maybe some B too) that won't be making the cut. Obviously, this is the simplest approach.
However, if you're not paying for your wedding and your parents are, they may want to exert some greater influence over who comes to the wedding. It's unfortunate that it might come down to a familiar squabble like this, but it happens. (Weddings, as I'm sure you're realizing, are fraught with emotion!) If this is the case, it's very possible you will have to ceed more of your guest list than they do... but not necessarily.
As with all things in life, calmly expressing why your guests deserve to stay on the list as much as theirs do can work. After all, this day is about you and your betrothed. Yes, it's about family too, but it's important that the people you care about the most are able to attend, if they can.
When it comes to the guest list, it's better to be more conservative. Underestimate how many people will respond in the affirmative that they are attending can be devastating, resulting in either exceeding your budget, or, worse, having to uninvite people (to be avoided at all costs!)
The other benefit is that if you are conservative about it, and have a number of people regretfully decline, you can always go back to those previously "cut" guests and send out their invitation quickly. Hopefully, they won't notice the delay... after all, the USPS does leave something to be desired. Keep track of your respondents as they come in, and you'll start getting a good picture of where you stand, attendance-wise, pretty quickly.
If a guest has not responded and it has past the date you indicated you would like responses by, by all means, reach out to them. Yes - it's more work on your part, but it's important that you get a final number as soon as possible. You'll need this to provide to your venue, caterer, etc. a few weeks out from the big day.
Previously:
The Guest List - Part One
The Guest List - Part Two
This is where the importance of designating every guest with an A, B, C priority comes in handy. However, it's still up to you to determine where to start, and this can obviously cause some friction amongst your family. Especially depending on how many people are paying for your nuptials.
The most equitable thing to do is to split the number that you need to cut (say, 40 guests), evenly among all guest list contributors. In this case, you can start by identifying 10 guests from each list (hopefully all C priority, but maybe some B too) that won't be making the cut. Obviously, this is the simplest approach.
However, if you're not paying for your wedding and your parents are, they may want to exert some greater influence over who comes to the wedding. It's unfortunate that it might come down to a familiar squabble like this, but it happens. (Weddings, as I'm sure you're realizing, are fraught with emotion!) If this is the case, it's very possible you will have to ceed more of your guest list than they do... but not necessarily.
As with all things in life, calmly expressing why your guests deserve to stay on the list as much as theirs do can work. After all, this day is about you and your betrothed. Yes, it's about family too, but it's important that the people you care about the most are able to attend, if they can.
When it comes to the guest list, it's better to be more conservative. Underestimate how many people will respond in the affirmative that they are attending can be devastating, resulting in either exceeding your budget, or, worse, having to uninvite people (to be avoided at all costs!)
The other benefit is that if you are conservative about it, and have a number of people regretfully decline, you can always go back to those previously "cut" guests and send out their invitation quickly. Hopefully, they won't notice the delay... after all, the USPS does leave something to be desired. Keep track of your respondents as they come in, and you'll start getting a good picture of where you stand, attendance-wise, pretty quickly.
If a guest has not responded and it has past the date you indicated you would like responses by, by all means, reach out to them. Yes - it's more work on your part, but it's important that you get a final number as soon as possible. You'll need this to provide to your venue, caterer, etc. a few weeks out from the big day.
Previously:
The Guest List - Part One
The Guest List - Part Two
Sep 7, 2012
Spring 2013 Wedding Trends: Lace
Lace doesn't have to work hard to conjure up romantic images, both sexy and demure!
For a wedding, we're seeing this delicate element pop up not only on gowns, but also hair pieces, decor, floral, and even cakes.
A beautifully intricate veil:
All over on a backless dress:
A sweet way to jazz up an all-white cake:
Down the middle of a long dining table:
Less literal, in a bouquet, courtesy of some sprigs of Queen Anne's Lace...
For a wedding, we're seeing this delicate element pop up not only on gowns, but also hair pieces, decor, floral, and even cakes.
A beautifully intricate veil:
All over on a backless dress:
A sweet way to jazz up an all-white cake:
Down the middle of a long dining table:
Less literal, in a bouquet, courtesy of some sprigs of Queen Anne's Lace...
Sep 4, 2012
The Guest List: Part Two
Once you have your guest list “rules” set, and your maximum number of invitees determined, you can start building your Master Guest List. You’re going to want an Excel workbook for this one – it’s a doozy.
The fact is, weddings are generally family events. That means that not only will you and your spouse-to-be be coming up with lists of your nearest and dearest to invite, it also means both your parents are going to want to have some input as well.
Let’s say you have a pretty traditional family framework where you and your significant other both have one set of parents. Create a tab on your spreadsheet for you, your partner, your parents, and their parents. On each tab, create the following columns: Guest Names, Number, Attending?, and Priority.
Guest names (first and last) and number (how many per invite) are self-explanatory. As is Attending? – a yes or no will suffice here and help you keep track of guest numbers as responses come in. Priority is part of the initial planning process, however. This is where you must determine your A, B, and C invitees.
Inevitably, when you first put together your lists, you will be over your allotted number of attendees. Having everyone designate their guests by A (must invite), B (would like to invite), and C (want to invite only if there’s room). You should specify to everyone that A’s should be limited to family members and very close friends – the people that you couldn’t imagine not being there. The majority of your guests will fall into groups B and C.
It will help everyone if you give them a general number to shoot for in terms of invitees. For example, if you’re shooting for a 150 person wedding, allot the two of you 75 guests, and split the difference remaining between your parents. Or, just go for it… the next step is trimming the guest list, anyway!
Next up: Trimming the Guest List and Other Tips
Previously: The Guest List - Part One
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)