Why Being a Bridesmaid is the Best Gig!

For all you soon to be bridesmaids, I found this fun article on the Dessy/After 6 website!

Best Gals
Why Being a Bridesmaid is the Best Gig

(BNN) You've just received the call. Your college "sister" is getting married, and she wants you to be a bridesmaid. Quick--are you flabbergasted or flattered?
Let's hope it's the latter. Though it can be a daunting experience to serve such an important role, your friend must really consider you one of her best gal pals, right? So if you think of your duties as a BEST GAL rather than as a servant to the bride, things will go much more smoothly in carrying out your commitment. Here are some surefire tips for being the best "best gal".
Be enthusiastic and supportive. As the bride plans her big day, she'll need plenty of backup, both material and emotional, from those she has honored with bridesmaid status. Don't wait to be asked. Volunteer your assistance with some of the more tedious and time-consuming tasks, such as selecting a venue for the ceremony (especially if it is a logistically challenging "destination wedding" far from home); planning bridal showers and bachelorette parties; and, if need be, even addressing invitations. Since many of today's couples create wedding websites to inform invited guests of the details, you can help gather information to keep communications up to date.

Expect the unexpected and "come to the rescue". No matter how thorough the nuptial planning, there will always be glitches. That's when a bride's best gals can step in and show their true colors. Maybe the fresh peonies the bride wants aren't in season; so . . . suggest a beautiful silk-alternative flower. Has her future mother-in-law requested that non-alcoholic libations also be served at the wedding reception? Maybe you could recommend fresh and fun alcohol-free cocktails that are tasty, colorful, and perhaps even evoke a romantic theme.

Shop for bridesmaids' dresses! Here's where the real fun of being a best gal begins. Although the bride-to-be will have the last word on how the wedding party will look, she will of course want them to play a major role in selecting their dresses, and to be delighted with the choice as well. Thankfully, dress options today are vast and flexible for all personalities and body types. Doing some fashion research on the Internet can help you, as a best gal, with style preferences. At Dessy.com and AfterSixDresses.com, for instance, designer Vivian Diamond's bridesmaid’s dresses are all about soft, feminine, simple silhouettes with draping, layering, or jewel-pin accents. These popular designs, meant to be “wear-again”glamorous evening looks, come in a variety of colors with favorites ranging from claret and shades of pink to aubergine and kiwi. For those who want versatility and flexibility of mixing sizes, colors and patterns, an exciting range of bridesmaids separates and two-piece dresses may be seen on AlfredSung.com Show the bride your taste expertise by recommending a few flattering styles. Once the choice has been made, best gals should help make sure their dresses are ordered far enough in advance to allow time for choosing the perfect shoes and jewelry to wear on the big day.

Take time to share the memories. One of the most satisfying fringe benefits of being a best gal is sharing with your best-gal pals--the friendships, stories, important events involved in the wedding. A personal keepsake for the bride and the wedding party will be treasured for a lifetime. One perfect memento, for instance, might be a photo diary documenting everything from dress-shopping and bridal showers to festive bachelorette parties and the rehearsal dinner. You can assemble the pictures in a lovely, small album or--utilizing today's digital technology--make, or have made, a CD of the images. Then, with the latter, you can host an informal "welcome back" party when the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, and play a "slide-show" of the images on your TV set. A get-together of this kind will be much appreciated by the bride. It will likewise renew the wedding camaraderie, and allow the wedding party, along with other friends and family to reconnect with the new "Mr. and Mrs."--and the "best gals" to reconnect with each other.

Dessy & After 6 Bridesmaids Collection
http://www.dessy.com/

Chicago Mart, DEBI Awards, & Cake Cutting!

It's been almost a week so let me get caught up by posting 2 blogs in one!

It's time for Chicago Market & The DEBI'S!
It's that time of the year again! September 29th - October 2nd, all the latest designers and bridal related vendors will take over the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. This is the place for local bridal shops to "shop" designers and take a peek at new collections and upcoming designs. It's also the time for the 2007 DEBI awards. The Distinctive Excellence in the Bridal Industry awards recognizes the best designers in the industry from headpieces, bridal, prom, and more. A good friend of the bridal shop I work at, Matthew Christopher, is up for most innovative designer of the year. GO MATTHEW!

Cake-Cutting Fees
Quick tip, please be sure to check with your location/cake vendor to be aware of any cake cutting fees that may be charged. Some locations charge $1 a slice to cut the cake and serve it to guests. The Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, charges $7 a slice! This can be very costly...imagine a wedding with 100 guests at the Ritz costing you $700 in just cake cutting! WOW! Don't overlook this easy to forget detail.

Matthew Christopher
http://www.matthewchristopher.com/
Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Orlando/Default.htm

Free Military Weddings in Vegas!

Free Military Weddings in Vegas!

If you and your special soldier are heading to Las Vegas to get married or you want to make things official quick before he is deployed...many of the wedding chapels offer free or discounted weddings to service members. Most include use of the chapel, traditional music, silk bouquet and boutonniere, wedding license scroll, and 12 professional photos. Simply reserve the chapel by showing the staff your loved ones deployment papers. If you are not being deployed most offer a 10% discount on other packages!

For more information visit:

http://www.littlechapel.com/

http://www.lvweddingchapels.com/

New Gown Designers Stepping on the Scene

New Gown Designers Stepping on the Scene

Some surprising new designers are stepping into the bridal market. Disney debuted their Fairy Tale Weddings Collection by Kirstie Kelly in April of this year. With price points between $1,500-$3,000, many girls will be able to afford a princess gown on their special day. They modeled most of the gowns after characters from popular disney series including Ariel, Belle, Snow White, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, and of course Cinderella. They also have a line for bridesmaids called Maidens which features surprisingly pretty gowns. No word on the quality yet...


Another stunning entrance is Target! Yep, you heard right. Isaac Mizrahi for Target is now in the bridal market. Their prices range from $89-$159. For the bride who is on a serious budget this might be an option. But, beware that most times you get what you pay for. No word on the quality of these gowns either, although they have a moderate rating from users on the Target website.

For more information on either of these companies please go to:
Disney Bridal
http://www.disneybridal.com/index.html
Isaac Mizrahi for Target Bridal
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/602-8952636-1171047?index=tgt-mf-mv&node=347006011&rank=price&x=12&y=14

Ciao!

UPDATE 12/31/07: It appears that you can only purchase Issac Mizrahi for Target bridal gowns online through Target.com!

Tip of the Day

A typical fee for a wedding and event consultant is 10%-15% of the total budget. Plan on paying your planner at least $1,000 for a $10,000 wedding. It is also customary to include a tip on their services to show your appreciation for their hard work.

Welcome!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to my new blog...What's Happening in Weddings! I'll be using this blog to update you all on what's happening in the event industry, give you tips and ideas, and answer your questions. I hope it helps you in planning your dream day!

-WedChick-