February 2006 Archives

In the quest for bridal jewelry, bridesmaid bouquets, and the perfect shoes to complement that taffeta gown, it can be hard to put all the pieces together into a picture of coordinated perfection. Most bridesmaids are reluctant to cause wear and tear on their bridesmaid dresses, let alone modeling them in jewelry and shoe stores.

A clever way to mix and match bridesmaid accessories is to bring along the bridesmaid dress fabric swatch. These simple swatches fit easily in your purse, and are a handy reference for color and fabric when it comes to accessorizing for your wedding theme!

A grocery store in trendy Liverpool, England is giving new meaning to the term walking down the aisle. The grocery store is now retailing bridesmaid dresses, wedding dresses, and soon groom suits for a fraction of the cost one would pay a bridal boutique. The bridesmaid dresses cost between 30 and 35 pounds, and the wedding dresses about double. Most interesting is that cost-cutting bridesmaids and brides have been trekking in large numbers from all over England to acquire these affordable bridal gowns. Looks like brides are finally tiring of shelling out billions for one-time-only wear...

If you brides don't want your bridesmaids mocking your choice of bridesmaid dresses for years to come, invest in this awesome non-bridezilla gesture: Order some bridesmaid fabric swatches online, enclose them with your bridesmaid invites, and let your girls decide together which fabric and color they like best. That way, you can be mocking their bridesmaid dress choices for years to come. (Hee hee!)

See www.dessy.com for great bridesmaid styles.

Wedding season is marked by a very important proposal. No, we're not talking about that whole silly down-on-bent-knee proposal. We're talking about your important proposal, the moment your bride asked you to be her bridesmaid. These days, brides are taking a cue from grooms and getting creative when popping this all-important question. Bridesmaids shouldn't expect a diamond ring in a champagne glass, but an official bridesmaid invite card is a definite must. Other awesome ways to propose to your bridesmaids: instead of an invite, knock their stilettos off by sending them their bridesmaid dresses, along with a save-the-date card. Bridesmaid puzzle cards are also a sweet idea that will have bridesmaids saying "I do!"

There are many great reasons to have a destination wedding: For one thing, studies show destination weddings have the highest rate of wedding guest satisfaction. Also, it is a chance for bridesmaids to take a fantastic vacation, rather than just standing in a stuffy church in sweltering bridesmaid dresses. Speaking of which, destination weddings also offer a chance for bridesmaids to capitalize on the hottest trend in bridesmaid gowns right now: tropical bridesmaid dresses! When in Fiji...

If your bride is getting bratty, point her to www.theknot.com, where there is currently a fantastic article about how to be kind to your bridesmaids.

This awesome list suggests everything from buying bridesmaid separates instead of bridesmaid dresses, and cool personalized bridesmaid gifts, like lotion for post-dancing aching feet, or a round of drinks at the bachelorette party! At any rate, the article is good for a quick dose of bridesmaid appreciation, so send it to a bride near you!

These days, brides are thinking outside the box on bridesmaid bouquets. No longer content with a simple nosegay, brides are incorporating twinkly lights, rhinestones, ribbons and much more for bridesmaids bouquets with a festive twist. The latest trend in bridesmaid bouquets, (which could incidentally double as a great bridesmaid gift) is to wind a charm bracelet around the base of the bouquet. We like this as a great gift to dress up a bouquet and make a lovely keepsake afterwards!

One exciting trend released by Brides.com for 2006 is personalized bridesmaid gifts! Personalized bridesmaids gifts can be achieved in a variety of ways: the bride may give out monogrammed gifts, or attach a handwritten note. But the best way to give personalized bridesmaids gifts is to pick out something special for each maid, rather than give every girl the same gift. Check out Weddingstar for unique bridesmaid gift ideas!

It’s all fine and romantic for the bride to marry the love of her life on Valentine’s Day. But what about the diligent bridesmaids who dutifully forsake their own love lives to stand by their bride on the most romantic day of a year? Also, legend has it, Valentine’s Day bridesmaid dresses are some of the ugliest in history. If you’re doing bridesmaid duty this V-day, sweeten the pot by requesting some red-hot Valentine’s Day thongs as bridesmaids gifts. After all, you deserve a little spice to your night.

If you watch Project Runway or have seen Nicky Hilton's new clothing line "Chick," then you know braided straps are super stylish.

Well, now you can incorporate this hot look into your bridesmaid dress, by convincing the bride in your life that Dessy bridesmaid dress style 2043 is the perfect bridesmaid dress for her wedding.

It's not everyday a bridesmaid style comes along that is actually trendy, so snatch up this braided beauty today!

Remember bridesmaids, in addition to bridesmaid gifts, there is one other perk of being a bridesmaid that is often forgotten: the bridesmaid luncheon. This tradition of brides buying the bridesmaids lunch is sometimes lost in the midst of the wedding whirlwind, so don’t forget to remind your bride about it regularly. Hints like “Gosh, I’m starving, we should go get ( bridesmaids’) lunch,” should do nicely.

Tired of listening to the bride’s boring “What if my nylons snag?” or “What if I lose an earring back?” wedding jitters? Wise bridesmaids know the only way to silence a paranoid bride is the Wedding Day Survival Kit. This ultimate wedding kit is so all-inclusive, even the most imaginative bride won’t be able to complain about this fabulous wedding gift. The other bridesmaids will thank you, we’re sure!

It seems ranch weddings are increasingly popular these days, which we see as beneficial for bridesmaids. Not only is there a possibility of getting walked down the aisle by hunky groomsmen cowboys, there is also a chance you could wear cowboy boots with your bridesmaid dresses, or go for a hayride... Yee haw!

If your bride gave you some cheesy bridesmaid gift, such as sepia shoes to match your sepia bridesmaid dress, return the favor with this hilarious and practical wedding gift “The Sweet Potato Queen’s Wedding Planner/Divorce Guide.” The first half of the book is for married couples, the last half for divorced couples. The bride may not thank you now, but may appreciate your thoughtfulness later. Maybe she’ll even model your consideration by picking versatile bridesmaid dresses that will also look fashionable in divorce court.