Love What You Do

This really isn't a wedding post but a lot has been going on with friends so I wanted to put this out there.

Love what you do!

I can't tell you how much I love going to work everyday!  And tonight I'm still here at 8pm and I miss the days that I would stay at the office till the craziest hours and the time just flew by.

It makes such a difference in your life when you love what you do.  If you're not enjoying your job then look for another one in the same or a different field.  Or go back to school and learn new skills.  It's never too late!

I promise you that the happier you are at work the happier you will be in general.

Now that doesn't mean you should just quit your job first thing Monday morning -- never quit a job until you have another one lined up -- but keep your eyes open, talk to friends and colleagues, sign up for a LinkedIn account and start going to networking events.

Life's too short!

The Name Game

Are you planning on changing your last name to your husband's after the wedding?  There are number of companies and government agencies you'll need to reach out to - social security, department of motor vehicles, credit cards.

But since you won't be filing the paper work until after your wedding and probably after you returned from your honeymoon make sure you book your flight and hotel reservations in the name that appears on your current ID cards - passport, driver's license - and that would be your maiden name.

You can still let the airline and hotel that the reason for your trip is your honeymoon and enjoy any perks like free champagne on your arrival.

The Kids' Menu

Kids of all ages love the kids' menu.  I remember my cousin's bat mitzvah party 10 years ago where there were two cocktail hours.  One for the adults with a quartet and fancy hors d'oeuvres (crab cakes, mini lamb chops, cheese bar - it wasn't kosher) and the kid cocktail hour with a DJ and kid-friendly hors d'oeuvres (pigs in a blanket, sliders and mac n cheese).


I remember that a lot of the adults were in the kids room and my aunt was annoyed because she was spending all this money on fancy food and all everyone wanted was kid-friendly fare.


You may want to consider adding some childhood favorites to your wedding's cocktail hour because it really is food that everyone will enjoy.  And if you and your fiance are fans of something specific don't be afraid to add it to the menu.


You know I love pigs in a blanket but there are a lot of other fun finger foods that you can serve:  sliders, fries, mac n cheese, chicken fingers and mini-pizzas are just a few ideas.  Talk to your caterer about different menu options and ask your parents and close friends what their favorite cocktail hour foods are too.

Photos of Your Wedding Dress at the Bridal Salon

If you've started shopping for your wedding dress you will have learned that bridal salons frown on brides snapping photos of you in your dress unless you've bought it.  The reason for this, I'm assuming, is that the salon doesn't want you taking the picture to other salons and buy it somewhere else.  That's also why a number of bridal salons will remove tags and style numbers from dresses and create their own style number system.

With digital cameras and cameras on phones it's easy to snap photos when the sales consultant leaves the room.  I'm not advocating breaking any store's rules but once you decide to purchase a wedding dress here are some tips:

1. Make sure to snap photos in good light - maybe out of the dressing room and in the main salon area - of you in the wedding dress.
2. Get pictures of you in the wedding dress from several angles:  front, back and both sides.  You may also want the consultant to create a bustle so you know what you'll look like at both the ceremony and reception.
3. Ask for a swatch of the dress so you always know the color of your gown.  But remember the swatch you get at this point may not be the exact shade of your dress because the dye lot will be different, but it'll be very close.  You'll need to ask for another swatch at your first fitting. 

Celebrating Milestones: My 700th Post

Wow I can't believe it!  And this doesn't count the hiatus to iVillage Weddings for a year.

Dave and I had a 22 month engagement so to keep the excitement of planning going - more for him than for me of course - on the 22nd day of each month leading up to the wedding (we were married on the 22nd of June) I wrote a short four line poem and gave him a token gift.  The gift had to be in the quantity of the number of months to go.  I remember for 19 months I gave him 19 Hershey Kisses and I think for 10 I gave him a MetroCard with 10 subway rides on it.

After we were married we celebrated the 22nd of every month for the first year.  And after June 22, 2004 we just celebrate our wedding anniversary with a card.

It's important that you don't just focus on the wedding day itself after you're engaged.  Remember that after the wedding you are married to this person for better or worse till death do you part - or if you decide to divorce, which we don't hope for when we decide to marry someone, right?

Keep the spark alive throughout your engagement and your marriage by doing little things for each other.  You don't have to spend a lot or any money.  Leave a post-it on the bathroom mirror or front door that reads "I love you" or surprise him with reservations to his favorite restaurant even thought you hate it.

I went on vacation in September 2008 with my mom and sister and when I left I put a post-it on the inside of the front door that read "I love you. Have a good __day  __night *check one that applies."  The note is still on our door - post-its really do stick - and every day we both see it when we leave the house and lock up at night and it makes me smile and I know it warms his heart too.  And that little post-it didn't cost anything and to us, 2+ years later, it's priceless.

Win $5K for Your Wedding and a Fabulous Pair of Shoes

WE tv's new wedding shows all the time network Wedding Central is hosting a contest in New York in early November where 30 brides will compete for $5,000 cash, a pair of designer wedding shoes and a $5,000 prize package from their team of experts - some of them are personal friends of mine so I can honestly say it will be an awesome package.

Anyway, they reserved 5 spots for aisledash.com readers and if you want to enter the contest all you have to do is comment on the post I wrote on the contest earlier this week.  Here's the link!

There are 5 spots available so post soon and you can read all the contest details on the post or via the links to the contest page on weddingcentral.com

Good luck!

The Temperature of a Plate

I hate it when I'm served salad on a hot plate - one that probably just came out of a dishwasher.  At a meeting this afternoon I ordered cake a la mode for dessert and the plate it was served on was chilled.  I don't recall ever getting a chilled plate but it was the perfect detail b/c the ice cream didn't melt as quickly.

I don't know how much control you have over this for your wedding, though you can bring up the subject at a meeting with your caterer, but it's something to think about when serving food at home.

Vera Wang's 20th Anniversary

In honor of Vera Wang's 20th anniversary Vera's blog editors asked a few editors to write what they think of Vera's impact on the bridal industry.  You can read my post at verawang.com/veraunveiled.  There's a photo of me and Dave on our wedding day - my mom's comment was that Dave looks so young, but I look the same - thanks mom!

The editors also pulled together a gallery of images of a variety of Vera Wang wedding dress designs over the years.

Today was the Fall 2011 Vera Wang bridal show - the pics are live on aisledash.com - but here's a link to a  post on the Vera blog on the hairstyles in the show.

It's crazy to imagine having the limited option of wedding dress designs before Vera Wang hit the market in 1990.  I'm just glad that while designers have been inspired by past fashion trends they have all neglected to include the 1980s in their collections.

Bridal Market Coverage

Sorry for the missing posts but Bridal Market has taken over my life!  On aisledash.com there are almost 100 posts on the shows including galleries of the runway, reviews and trend reports.  There's still more to come and until market and coverage is completed next week I may miss a post or two or more.

Sorry.

xo

Your Wedding in Three or More Acts

Mark Niemierko of Niemierko wedding planning in London shares a great wedding planning tip:

Think about your wedding in different acts.  Each part of your wedding is a different stage and each one can have a different theme.  You don't need just one theme throughout your whole day.

Traditionally a wedding has three acts - ceremony, drinks/cocktail hour and dinner/dancing - but you can add more such as a separate dessert area, an after party/night club.

And think about how your guests are going to get from one area/part of your wedding and make each act an experience.

By having different stages/themes it keeps your guests excited, interested and guessing what is coming next.

Beware of Bracelets

I was flipping through the Winter 2011 issue of New York magazine’s Weddings issue today and I saw a tip from a jewelry designer that I wanted to share.

Bracelets have been a popular bridal accessory over the past year or so but it’s important to pick a bracelet that won’t snag on your wedding dress and your veil. It’s very possible that a bracelet that has a lot of stones or small pointy things (sorry I couldn’t think of a better description) can snag the fabric of your wedding dress and even tear a hole in your veil.

If you do decide to wear bracelets make sure that the material it is made of is smooth and can’t harm your dress or veil in anyway. Or just wear it for photos and take them off for the reception.

Shopping for Bridesmaids Dresses

Shopping for bridesmaids dresses is not easy.  You have to find a dress that will fit and flatter each girl and that's not even the headache of trying to schedule shopping appointments when everyone is available.

When you find a bridesmaid dress that you like schedule an appointment for as many of your bridesmaids to go with you to try it on.  For those who can't make it, see if it's available in their area and have them make an appointment and email you a photo of themselves in the dress so you can see what it looks like.

Once you've picked a dress make sure each bridesmaid gets her measurements done correctly, the sales consultant can give them directions, and confirm that everyone has ordered their dress in a timely manner.

You should always check the store's return policy but I'm gonna bet that once ordered you can't cancel the order for a full refund so only place the order, or have the bridesmaids place their orders, after they've all tried on the dress, you've decided that it's the right color and style for your wedding and you are satisfied that everyone looks great.

Don't worry too much about picking a bridesmaid dress they can wear again because no matter what you choose they probably won't wear it again.  Sorry, that's the truth.

Making a Party Playlist

If you're like me then you have no idea how to put together a party playlist.  I am always eyeing the iPods of friends to see what songs they have on when we're over for a cocktail or dinner party.  My playlists are built by decade or artist so guests will either get an all Elvis playlist or an all '80s playlist.

When having guests over for a pre-wedding celebration like an engagement cocktail party or a more formal event like your rehearsal dinner you may want to put on some background music.  While a wedding-themed playlist can be fun for the first 10 minutes, you may want something a little more sophisticated for the rest of the night.

Pandora.com is the perfect, free, service to help you put together the right playlist for your party.  You enter the name of a song or artist and they will create and play a playlist for you with music by that artist and similar sounding songs.  You won't end up with a playlist of one artist.

The songs will play continuously at no charge and you can play the music directly from your computer or attach a pair of speakers to your computer for more/better quality sound.  And speaking of sound, remember to keep the sound loud enough to hear the music but not loud enough so that your guests have to yell over it.

And while you can use pandora.com to help find the right songs for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and reception playlist, I recommend hiring a professional wedding band or DJ for your wedding day.

Bridal Market Starts This Week

Starting on Wednesday wedding dress designers and bridal accessory designers will show buyers and editors their latest designs.  While wedding websites and blogs will feature the images from bridal market in a matter of hours consumers will not be able to purchase or order the items until 2011 - probably January at the earliest but most likely late February/early March.

Keep this in mind when browsing the Spring 2011 designer runway galleries.  If you are shopping for your wedding dress remember that you probably need to purchase your wedding dress six months before your wedding day, which will allow three months to manufacture the dress and then three months for your fitting.  And the more detail on your wedding dress the more time needed to make it.

Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Date

A lot of couples are getting married this weekend, and more specifically on Sunday, not because it's a three-day weekend or because a Sunday wedding may be less expensive, but because this Sunday's date is October 10, 2010 also known as 10-10-10.

And similar to 07-07-07 and 08-08-08, a number of couples think that the repetitive number means the date may bring them good luck.

I wish the best of luck and all the happiness in the world to each couple getting married on 10-10-10, but here are some other things to keep in mind when picking your wedding date:

1.  Choose a date that doesn't conflict with a business event or other family function that important wedding guests may have a conflict with.

2.  If you are having a religious wedding ceremony check with your officiant that there are no religious restrictions to having your wedding on the date you are thinking of.

3.  There are some holidays and events that may keep guests away, or at least in front of a TV set during your wedding, such as the Super Bowl, Thanksgiving Weekend and Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

4.  Make sure that other engaged friends or relatives haven't picked that date and are about to send out their save-the-date cards.

5.  If it is very important to you that you hire a specific vendor, such as a caterer or photographer or planner, make sure that he or she is available on your wedding date before signing a contract with a venue or other vendors.

Wedding Invitation & Stationery Trunk Shows

You often hear of wedding dress trunk shows, but there are also trunk shows for wedding invitations and stationery.

Similar to a wedding dress trunk show, at a stationery store you can expect to find a stationery designer  or representative from the company.

He or she will have the entire line available to look through and talk to you about all your options - especially customization options.

And similar to a wedding dress trunk show the stationery company/store will also offer you discounts and/or promotions.

Some stationery stores may require an appointment so you may want to call the store ahead of time to see if scheduling an appointment is necessary.

Next week Spark Letterpress Love will be having a trunk show at Kate's Paperie in New York City. There are three promotions being offered when you purchase a Spark Letterpress Love wedding invitations, thank you notes and social stationery.

Sick Day

I never like to miss a ay to post but I am so horribly sick - and so is Dave - that I can't even think straight.

So a really quick tip re: getting sick.

If in the weeks leading up to your wedding you start feeling sick - like a cold, sore throat or flu - get to the doctor asap and start treating it.  Don't let it linger because it may get worse and you don't want to be sick on your wedding day.

I can just see a sick bride walking around with the reception site with a hospital mask and air kissing everyone.

Bringing (Uninvited) Baby and Kids to the Wedding

My sister went to an engagement party over the weekend and she called me the morning of the party to ask an etiquette question:  Would it be okay to bring her baby to the party?

My first response was what happened to the babysitter.  Nothing they (his parents) were still planning on babysitting.

My second response was to ask if the baby was invited to the party to begin with.  She wasn't sure.  So I asked if the envelope the invitation came in read : Mr. & Mrs or The Smith Family?  She hesitated but said just to the two of them.  So I told her I didn't think it would be appropriate to bring the baby.  It was clear to me that she wasn't invited.

She asked me if there was any way she could bring the baby and I told her that she could call and ask the host if it was okay but since the reason wasn't that the babysitter canceled at the last minute she would have to just ask nicely and hope that her friend said it was okay.  Which she did.

If you get a call from a guest who at the last minute wants to bring their kids it's up to you to make the cal based on space, money and your relationship to the guests.

In some instances there physically will be no more room at the site.  If the kids are over the age of 4 their parents may expect you to cover their meal - that will cost you money and you also have to find out if the caterer can do a kids meal at the last minute.  Is your wedding kid-friendly?  Your guests won't know in advance but you will - think about whether there will be other kids there and what entertainment will be there for the kids.

In the end it's your call and be prepared for the parents to say that if the kids can't come they can't make it.  I would hope this won't ruin your relationship but you know your guests better than me so make sure that you are comfortable with your decision - financially as well as emotionally.

Dessert Course Idea

If you and your fiance are thinking of serving a dessert course in addition to wedding cake here are two ideas you may want to consider:

1 - Select two dessert items and serve each one to every other guest.  Since many of your guests will be couples and likely to share with each other, every guest will get to enjoy both desserts.

2 - Give each guest a tasting plate with two or three desserts in a smaller size so that each guest can enjoy a little bite of each one.

I like the idea of a dessert medley or dessert tasting plate because not everyone likes chocolate or pies or mousse.  These two options allow you and your guests to enjoy several desserts and pretty much guarantees that everyone will find something on the dessert menu to eat.