A Bride's BFF

Friday, June 6, 2014

Frugal Fridays-Cheap DIY Wedding Ideas

Just because you're trying to save money on your wedding doesn't mean it has to look cheap! Check out these frugal but fabulous DIY money-saving ideas.

Save money by buying a very simple cake and wrapping different widths of ribbon around your cake. Uses complementary colors and contrasting textures to give it a pretty effect. Then, stick the ends together with royal icing and voila!

Brides Magazine

Frame your ceremony program and display it on a table near the guest book or in other locations where guests will easily find it. Saving you money on printing and copying. You can also do this with menus.

The cost of wedding flowers can add up. Save money on your decor for miscellaneous tables such as sign-in tables, favor card tables, bars, etc... by creating easy summer wedding centerpieces using colorful fruit.

DIY Wedding Decorations

Milk glasses make gorgeous centerpiece vessels. But they can be difficult to find and very expensive! Turn almost any cheap glass vase (think dollar store, thrift, stores and garage sales) into a beautiful vintage pieces with this tutorial by Emmaline Bride

Friday, May 30, 2014

Repost: We're Having An Ambush Wedding!

So imagine this...your recently engaged friend is "planning" her wedding scheduled for sometime in the far future(12-14 months from her engagement). She decides to throw a New Years Eve party with her groom-to-be to ring in the New Year....

Military Wedding Details and Etiquette

In honor of our men and women in uniform on this upcoming Memorial Day weekend, today's blog post is about Military Weddings.

Many people who have affiliations to the Armed Services may want to incorporate their respective military organization into their big day. I was actually surprised at the lack of information available about the etiquette and particulars of planning a military wedding. While not a completely comprehensive manual, here are three important aspects to keep in mind when planning a military wedding.

Attire
For the groom and any active military male bridal party participants, the ‘correct’ dress code depends on their rank and the formality of the wedding.

For a Black Tie wedding, commissioned officers can wear either their dinner or mess uniforms. For an even more formal white tie and tails wedding, groom and groomsmen should sport their evening dress uniform. If any male attendants are members of a different service than the groom, they just wear a uniform of comparable formality to his.

Whether the wedding is formal or informal, non-commissioned officers should wear dress blues or Army green. Military attendants who are part of the sword or saber ceremony are required to wear white gloves. The groom and best man do not wear gloves because they will be handling the rings. Boutonnieres are not worn with uniforms; instead, officers wear their military decorations.

Active military brides (and bridesmaids) have the option to wear either their military dress uniform or a traditional bridal gown.

The Sword or Saber Ritual

The grand finale of a military wedding ceremony is the formation of a sword or saber arch. Immediately following the pronouncement of marriage, before the couple heads down the aisle, the honor guard form two lines opposite each other. On the command of "draw sword" or "draw sabers," the steel is raised with the right hand, with the cutting edges facing up. The couple enters the arch, kiss, and then pass through. The newly married couple then salute the honor guard. Members of the honor guard then sheath the swords or sabers and return them to a carry position. Depending on your particular church’s rules and branch of service, the arch can be formed either outside or in the foyer of the chapel, synagogue or church.

The tradition of the bride and groom walking through the arch of swords is meant to symbolize the couple's safe transition into their new lives together.

If the bride is a civilian, another tradition is a gentle sword tap on the rear that she receives from the last swordsman as one of the attendants tells her, “Welcome to the Navy (or the appropriate military division). Grooms, should you decide to adhere to this custom, it would be prudent to inform your bride about the possibility so that she isn't unpleasantly surprised!

Cutting the Military Wedding Cake

Finally, at the wedding reception many military couples choose to use the groom’s sword or saber to cut the wedding cake. Make sure the sword/saber is cleaned before the cake is cut and is cleaned, once again, before it’s placed back in its sheath.

Lastly, if in doubt about the correct military protocol, simply defer your questions to the nearest military base personnel; I guarantee that someone there can point you in the right direction.

Source: US Marriage Laws, Weddings for a Living
Photo: Pinterest

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

8 Creative Uses for Wheelbarrows in Outdoor Weddings

It's amazing how with a little creativity and love, the most ordinary and mundane things can be converted into extraordinary works of art. A wheelbarrow is a fun prop you can incorporate into your outdoor wedding in so many fun ways!

Complete your romantic setting with a display of floral extravagance set upon a vintage wheelbarrow...

Brides Magazine

Use it as an outdoor cooler to serve refreshments...

Real Weddings Mag

Use it in place of a gift table...

Use it in place of a stroller...

Or in place of a getaway vehicle...

Sue and Lou Events

They make great rustic candy buffets...

And accent pieces...

Wedding Chicks

Or substitute welcome mats...

BHG

What are some other ordinary objects you love using at weddings and events?

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

What Your Color Scheme Says About Your Wedding

The color scheme you choose for your wedding is more than just décor, on a conscious and unconscious level, colors and color combinations create powerful moods and feelings.

Ensure that your guests will get the right message by knowing what different colors mean and the emotions they invoke. Then, just like your wedding décor, use color in creative ways to support your message and to create something memorable in your guests’ minds and eyes.

Blue: Peace, Trust, Dependability, Calm, Intelligence, Dreams, Thoughts, Imagination and Tranquility