All Things Wedding From Wedding Stationery to Bridal Wear

I’ve heard a lot of people say their wedding day was the best day of their life or that they expect it to be the best day of their life and I just can’t relate. I do not expect my wedding to be the best day of my life and, frankly, future me is going to be pretty disappointed if it is.

I love this guy, but marrying him better not be the high point of our lives:

Don’t get me wrong, I am so excited for our wedding and I know it will be a very special day. It might even be the best party I ever attend, simply because I’m going to be surrounded by all my favourite people (and a couple strangers!). However, despite how excited I am and how much effort I’m putting into the wedding I really don’t want it to be the best day of my life.

I sincerely hope that one day Mr. Knitting and I will have professional successes that make me even happier and more proud of myself and my husband than our wedding day. I firmly believe that we will have happier moments with our future children and I suspect that becoming parents may in fact be one of the best days of our lives. Who knows, it might even be a completely random day that ends up being the best day of my life.

Basically it comes down to the fact that while I expect my marriage to be an integral and very precious part of my life, I do not expect or want my wedding day to be the best day of my life. It will be a day, it will be amazing, it won’t be the best.

Where do you stand on this?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

I have a confession to make. I used a template site for my wedding website (cringe). Yes, I know. But I’m only slightly ashamed. Being a professional designer (and yes, website developer) keeps me pretty busy. And the thought of taking those potentially money-making hours away from my schedule to work on a personal site only up for a couple of months wasn’t really sitting well. And since I’ve been using WeddingWire for all my planning needs, I figured, what the heck? I’ll use their website tool!

And I am so glad I did! It was beyond easy, and they have loads of cute options.

I chose the fall leaves design since that was our color inspiration, and though it doesn’t match our wedding exactly (well, really only vaguely), I’m really happy with it. You can personalize your welcome message, and add a photo gallery along with your love story.

The features alone are worth it, as it would take me hours to code my own database for the RSVP option, and it even embeds my blog as a feed!

It saved me time, added great functionality to the whole planning process, and overall was just a dream to do. Now I can tell guests I have a website out there, and they can find the link to our registry and everything. As much as the designer in me cringes that it was not hand-crafted to match our wedding, the realist in me loves the penny-free process (yes, it’s also FREE!) and breezy completion. I’ve even corrupted a fellow designer bride to use it too!

What is the easiest to use wedding website site you’ve found?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

(thank you cards bought from Target)

As a bride, showers are great because they don’t involve all that much work. You don’t have to plan anything. Someone else does the inviting, and you simply show up. You basically show up and feel special. That’s how it has been at least… until now! That’s right, the work has begun. For each lovely gift you receive, it is proper etiquette to send a thank you card.

Etiquette what?

I’ve written a ton of thank you cards in my days, but weddings have a way of putting an extra layer of pressure and scrutiny on the bride. Just to make sure I had my etiquette rules straight, I searched around to check my knowledge. You, too, can check them out here, here, and here. For simplicity, I’ve compiled this list for you. Most of you know the gist of this. I’ve added some rules and tips I’ve picked up along my research.

• Have thank you cards ready to go so you can start right away (a la Mrs Lamb)
• Address the thank you card to the people who signed the card (thread here). If the card is signed Jane and Joe, you send the thank you card to “Jane and Joe” even if Joe wasn’t invited to the shower.
• Express appreciation for the gift, describe it in a positive and descriptive way (I really like the fluffy yellow towel set).
• Note how you plan to use it. (Showers will be very luxurious because of these towels)
• Show interest in the person you’re thanking, not just the gift you received. (I can’t wait to see you in San Diego for our wedding)
• Make it personal. If you don’t have the gift giver all that way, make sure to say something about yourself. (I haven’t exactly learned the art of doing this. Teach me a thing or three in the comments please)

And on a total side note, I wanted to point your attention to this pretty awesome template that Mrs Green Tea posted in February that is so so pretty!

Other rules that blew my mind:

• If you get 2 gifts (one for shower, one for wedding), you should send 2 thank you cards.  So space out the timing or you’ll have a ton of work in front of you. (via thread)
• Etiquette dictates blue or black ink for ease of reading.  I think I prefer colored ink for ease of my sanity! (source)

You know why you learn rules, folks?  So you can break them.  Devilish, right?  Yeah, I follow some and I just break others when they don’t make sense to me.

Based on the photo above, can you tell which rules I broke?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

I am a photography snob.

There. I said it.

Because of my slight huge obsession with photography, I knew that finding a photographer for our wedding was going to be a huge undertaking. Photography was hands down the number one priority for me – more important than the venue, the food, or the dress. This could be primarily because I have such a love affair with photography, but I think wedding photography is just so important. When the day is over (and I know it will be a complete blur to me), all I will have to remember that day by are my photos. I love that you can look at photos from a wedding, and if they are done right you feel like you were there. You can feel the happiness rolling off the groom as his bride walks towards him, and you can feel the love between them as you see their first kiss.

I want to have photos from our wedding that bring me back to that day, and let me feel all of the emotions all over again.

I knew early on that photography was one thing I was going to have to pay for myself. How did I know this? Well, when I began discussing photographers with my mom, her first comment was “Oh, well Bob at our church has a really nice camera, and he likes to take pictures!!” Yeah. That wasn’t going to cut it. That’s not to say I have anything against friendors (love them!), but photography is important enough to me that I was willing to shell out whatever it costs to get a photographer that I am in love with.

I searched high and low for an affordable photographer that I loved, but I was really struggling with it. I have a very specific style that I like when it comes to wedding photography, and I just wasn’t finding it anywhere. Maybe I’m just too picky, but I was determined to find someone who could deliver exactly what I wanted.

Then, I went to the Austin Bridal Extravaganza (cue angel chorus) with Sister Cardy. From across the room, I saw this adorable little stand with the CUTEST logo I had ever seen in my life. You think I’m exaggerating? Fine. I’ll prove it.

(Source) Seriously. Just look at that and try not to smile. It’s impossible.

So, I immediately dragged Sister Cardy over to their booth and started looking through their sample albums. Stunning. Breathtaking. Amazing. I was in love. While I was at the booth, I started chatting with Melanie (the “She” of She-N-He). I instantly loved her, and I knew that she was going to be my photographer within minutes of meeting her. She is so incredibly sweet, and she is exactly the type of person I want to spend my wedding day with. In light of my status as a poor college student, Melanie even offered to come up with a payment system for me so that I could pay for it monthly rather than having to pay a huge amount of money all at one time. Yeah, she’s that awesome.

I didn’t book them that day – instead I went home and did a little research on their website. Seriously, y’all – I can’t even tell you how much I love their photos. Wanna see?

All images courtesy of She-N-He Photography (If you want to see more photos, they have a ton on Facebook!)

Do you see why I fell in love with them? Their photos are so real and candid and beautiful! I love that they are so person-focused. Her weddings always have so many photos of people smiling, laughing, and dancing, and I love that! I would love to look back on our photos and be able to see how much everyone enjoyed our wedding. So, as soon as I finished poring over their entire portfolio, I emailed Melanie to set up an appointment to meet with her. Mr. Cardigan and I made a special trip to Austin specifically to meet her, and seriously y’all? WE. LOVE. HER.We have kept in contact with Melanie and her husband Steve over the last few months, and I feel like they’re our friends now. I have absolute faith in them, and I can’t wait to see the amazing photos they take for us!

What is your number one priority for your wedding day?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

When it comes to weddings, bridezilla is as fashion-forward as they come. So forget about the 2010 wedding season. Let’s take a look at what will be hot in 2011!

The word on every fashionable bridezillas’ lips for Spring 2011 is texture. We are seeing texture being mixed and matched in ways like never before. Lace and pearls with studs and silk? Sure! The era of the traditional wedding dress has passed and now it is time to show your true ‘zilla personality.

Magnificent Monique Lhuilier Wedding Gown

The Monique Lhuilier dress shown here is a perfect example of mixing traditional fabrics to create something new and unexpected, while still looking very elegant. Finish the ensemble off with a few fresh accessories like the below necklace and simple bracelet.

People will not only remember your beautiful wedding but your creative style.

One Tiny Accessory, Big Impact

Find this bracelet at Nordies.

Add this Amazing Necklace

Necklace from Anthropologie.

Voila! A beauteous bride in a stunning dress with stunning accessories to match.

This article was originally posted onBridezilla.

The bread and salt tradition is a Slavic custom that dates back to the 17th century. It is basically a greeting ceremony, and it is practiced in many eastern European nations including Poland, Russia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and others. In simple terms, the host and/or hostess of a household or event will welcome important guests by presenting them with a loaf of bread and some salt. The guest will then take a piece of bread, dip it in the salt, and eat it. This is supposed to be a symbol of great hospitality, as well as an expression of hope that the guest will never know the pains of hunger.

This custom is not limited to weddings. Many Slavic governments use this tradition when greeting diplomats and people of political importance. Joe Biden even got a taste of it on a recent trip to Ukraine.

(source)

At a wedding, this custom can take one of two forms. On the one hand, the hosts of the event (usually the parents of the bride and/or groom) can welcome the newly wed couple with bread and salt upon their entrance to the reception.

(source)

The other option is for the hosts of the event to stand outside of the reception space, and welcome each individual guest by extending the bread and salt to them. This is the version that the Puddings will most likely be incorporating.

(source)

This is by far my favorite Polish wedding tradition, and it is an easy one to incorporate into a wedding reception if you are looking for a nod to your Slavic heritage.

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Sister Pudding has been giving me a lot of attitude about the fact that I haven’t been blogging as regularly as I used to. She’s calling me a “bad bee”, and she’s right; my post counts in the last couple of weeks has been measly compared to what it used to be. The truth is, the closer I come to the wedding, the more thinking about anything wedding related (including blogging) gives me a slight panic attack. I sincerely apologize: I have been a bad bee.

This week, I would like for that to change. So, in order to wean myself back to being a regular blogger, I have decided to do a week-long set of posts on Polish wedding traditions. I have a different tradition for every day, and I am hoping that this pre-determined list of topics will aid me in blogging regularly.

So without further ado, today’s tradition is called “Blogoslawienstwo” or “The Blessing”.

The idea that seeing the bride before the wedding is bad luck does not exist in Polish tradition.

In fact, the bride and groom have many duties to perform together before the wedding mass begins. The Blessing takes place right before the young couple depart for the church. The closest family gathers at the bride’s house, and observes while the parents, godparents, and grandparents give the couple a religious blessing. Usually, there will be a cross prepared and some holy water, and each person will have the couple kiss the cross and sprinkle them with the holy water.

(source)

This is a very touching and personal moment for the family of the bride and groom. It is the time when the family officially declares their approval of the union, and a chance for the parents/godparents/grandparents to impart some words of wisdom on the young couple before the celebrations commence. There is a 95% chance that Mama P, Sister P, and I will all be bawling our eyes out throughout the whole thing. It’s a good thing that I will have my makeup artist on hand.

When the Pudding family came to Canada from Poland about 18 years ago, one of the things that Mama Pudding chose to pack in the few suitcases that we were allowed to bring was a “wedding set”—basically, a silver cross, two candelabras and a silver container for holy water. Most of the weddings in our family have been blessed with this same cross, and my turn is just around the corner.

Does your family and/or culture have any pre-wedding-ceremony traditions that you will be incorporating into your wedding day?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

I always thought I’d be the kind of bride lugging one of these things around everywhere I went:

(source)

But, alas, I haven’t so much as bought one wedding-organizing-anything. It’s so not me! I imagined papers, receipts, and magazine snippets clogging a (neatly) overstuffed wedding binder. I just adore folders, labels, paper clips, and ultra fine point Sharpies. The just make me smile. I’m smiling as I write this.

So, where’s all my “stuff” you ask? Right here:

(Personal Photo)

Notice the purple?

Jump drive: the perfect solution for a traveling bride. I’ve got the gazillion photos I’ve pulled from various blogs and websites, copies of all of our vendor contracts, our guest list on an Excel sheet, engagement photos, etc., backed up in one place. I take it with me every time I know I’m going to see someone who is going to want to see my latest wedding ideas!

Do you have all your wedding “stuff” in one place?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Women dream of bringing their wedding planning to fruition younger, according to a survey by More magazine.

This year's marriage and wedding survey has revealed that 78 per cent of young women dream of tying the knot and most want be in their wedding dress by the time they're 26.

Despite being surrounded by stories of celebrity scandals and divorce, young women have not lost their faith in the sanctity of marriage. In fact, 42 per cent would put it before their careers.

Editor of More magazine Chantelle Horton explained that young women "realise that most celebrity marriages have the extra pressures of being in the limelight, spending lots of time apart and temptation everywhere that most normal relationships don't have to contend with".

It's looking good for life-long romance as figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the divorce rate is the lowest it has been since 1979 and the More survey has revealed that eight out of ten women think marriage should be for life.

If you're planning your wedding, then have a look at one of the first and most important things to book on your 'to do' list. Browse through thousands of wedding venues on hitched.co.uk today

This article was originally posted onHitched.

I have a fear that keeps creeping around in the back of my brain, and it has to do with our wedding day photography. No, it doesn’t concern Corey Ann—she’s going to be fabulous—but I am worried about someone else who will be heavily involved in the pictures taken on that day in September.

The person who raises a couple of red flags for me is Mr. Octopus.

Why? Well, instead of giving you an elaborate explanation, let me offer you the following exhibit which demonstrates his favorite and instantaneous reaction to having a camera in his presence. Believe me when I say that the following collage is just a tiny fraction of the body of evidence showing the way he responds to having his picture taken:

Maybe you were wondering if he also enjoys striking ridiculous poses in front of the camera? The answer to that, too, is a resounding yes:

Okay, so I actually think this hobby of his is kind of hilarious. I laughed the entire time I was compiling those pictures. Honestly, I won’t mind if he goofs around in (…some of) the portraits, because it is just so, so, so, so him. I am also reassured by the fact that he does manage to smile appropriately sometimes, and looks quite handsome doing it.

However, you also better believe that I will NOT be the one trying to explain to his grandmother why we have wedding portraits that look like this:

Is your fiance silly in front of a camera? Are you going to try to make sure he gets it together for the photographer?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.