Did You Preserve Your Bridal Bouquet?

Did you preserve your own bridal bouquet?  My mother did for me.  I kept it faithfully on my dresser top for over 25 years.  Then sometime after that…I prefer not to pinpoint the actual date…I knocked the glass display jar off the dresser, (where my bouquet was housed), and broke it into smithereens.  :-(

To the left, please see a picture of my actual bouquet.

But the good news is, I enjoyed it all these years (in January, we will celebrate 31 years of marriage)!

I did not professionally preserve Maggie's bouquet.  Instead, I saved some blooms and dried them.  I also saved some ribbon from her bouquet.  I washed it, ironed it, but as of yet, I'm not sure how I will used it.

Will I have KK's professionally preserved?  Well, maybe, now that I've done a little research.  There are a few different ways to accomplish this.

According to theknot.com, (please click on the link below for greater detail), the two most common ways are "Press and Frame" which is exactly what it sounds like: press a few flowers between something heavy, and frame them... maybe with a wedding photo or two.

The second method is the "Glass Dome or Shadow Box" option.  This is similar to what I had done.  The bouquet is professionally saved by a preservationist company.  One such company is
  timelessmoments.com  I have never used this company, so can not speak of their work.  But with the internet, countess companies are at your fingertips.  If you think you may want to go this route, plan ahead.  You will need someone to send in your bouquet within a day or two of your wedding.  He/she will need an address, and a box.  Make it easy for them!

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-flowers/articles/how-to-preserve-your-bouquet.aspx

Image # 1 bellethemagazine.com
Image #  3 Brides.com
Image # 4 thepinkbride.com
http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

How Did Tyler Ask HIS Attendants To Stand Up For Him?

I think too often all the focus of the wedding is on the bride.  We as a society, or at least we WOMEN, tend to forget how important a man's wedding is to him.   We get too caught up in our dresses, our hair, make-up, showers,  and of course…our shoes.  It is a life changing event for the man as well.

We need to take a step back and realize the 'groom to be' has thoughts and aspirations to contribute.  Many grooms just say, "Hey,wanna be in my wedding?"  To which he gets the reply, "Sure."  Done.

But not my 'son-in-law to be'.  Tyler made his request to his groomsmen a fun thing, while still recognizing the seriousness of what he was asking.  His method was truly unique.   He sent all the men video clip, (a link is provided below), which he designed. I got a kick out of it, and hope you will too.  He had fun, and so did his attendants.  And by the way…they all said, "Sure!" to his request.  :-)

Please enjoy the photos included.  The top pic is of Tyler and his siblings, Amanda and Conner.  The second is Conner, Tyler's best man, at Maggie and Rob's wedding; and the final shot is of Tyler and Amanda at one of Amanda's high school volleyball games.  One of the things I love most about Tyler is his devotion to family.  I look forward to being included in that soon…

Just click on the line below to check out Tyler's creation.

http://youtu.be/RQZV1Ph_kc4

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

"Simply the Best" by Mary P. Karnes is a cozy mystery available on e-book format.  Click on the link for more details.

"How Will You Ask Your Attendants To Stand Up For You At Your Wedding?"

How will you ask your attendants to stand up for you at your wedding?  It's a big commitment, of time-wise and economically. If your bridesmaids are local, there is dress shopping, shoe shopping, and let's not forget emotional support!

Then there's the financial strain.  Those often hideous bridesmaids dresses are not cheap…and neither are the shoes.  Your attendants' travel may be another expense if they're from out of town.  Remember... the bride and her family are responsible for their lodging the night before the wedding and the night of.

Let's not forget the parties!  Your bridesmaids will certainly be invited to a wedding shower or two, as well as your bachelorette.  They may even be hosting one of those events.

So…how do you ask closest family and friends to "BE THERE" for you during the planning of your wedding and the big day?

My daughter, Kathleen who will be married July 3, 2015, made the most adorable notebooks and gave them to her bridesmaids when she officially asked them to be in her wedding.  Inside, she wrote a personal letter to each, gave instruction as to their duties, (she is SUCH a big sister!), and then left space for their own personal planning pages.  It's truly a wonderful keepsake.

Tomorrow…find out how Tyler asked his groomsmen to stand up for him.

Above is a picture of KK, (Kathleen), giving her "Maid of Honor" speech at Maggie and Rob's wedding.  Maggie…You have big shoes to fill in your capacity as Matron of Honor at KK's shindig!

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best  Check out my cozy mystery's website.  "Simply the Best" is an e-book about a wedding planner in Santa Barbara, CA.  It's available from Barnes and Noble, amazon, Apple iBooks and other vendors.  Next in the series is due out soon!

Once Again…Mother of the Bride Dress...

So… I had a plan.  I bought my dream dress, as my "Mother of the Bride" dress, for Maggie and Rob's wedding… and I was going to wear it for KK's wedding.  I presented my thought to my family, but my BRILLIANT plan was shot down.  Not by my daughters, they were all OK with it, but by my husband.

He thought the family wedding pictures would suffer…

One more thing to worry about. The pressure was on!  A couple of weeks ago, I visited Maggie and Rob in Philly.  They were the ultimate tour guides. We enjoyed a horse drawn carriage ride and took in the historical sights, visited Maggie's school, U Penn, Rob's Optometry School, had Philly Cheese Steaks, (I prefer Geno's), saw the Liberty Bell, and traveled the Main Line.  But I didn't mention… we also went to the King of Prussia Mall - the biggest mall in America, measured by the most retail stores. Guess what?!?

I found a dress!

While I can not show you the dress…I CAN share with you a swatch.  Yep, blue again!  It's a loose weave with a matching under slip.  And yes, it's sleeveless once more.  Am I a masochist?!?  But again, I love the dress.  It's simple, but has a little more flair than what I'm wearing in the picture above.  Can't wait!  But of course if it's not KK's vision - it will be changed. It's her day!

You know this means I have to buy another tube of "Fat Girl Skinny Arm Candy" by Bliss, and start using my hand weights again…

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

KK and Tyler's Engagement Party!

We had a small gathering at our home last weekend to formally celebrate the engagement of KK and Tyler - just our families.  From our side, KK, Rob and Maggie, (matron of honor), Bob and Debbie, (Rob's mom and dad), Tess, Julia, (bridesmaids), Ken and me.

Tyler's family included Tyler, his dad, David,  mom, Janice, and step-dad, Patrick, brother Conner, sister Amanda, Godfather Jack, his daughter Alyssa, and her boyfriend Neal.  Please see the picture to the right of Tyler and his siblings.

It was a relaxed evening, good food, (Kenny's famous "Irish" meatballs), sauce and pasta, other favorite dishes brought by family and of course... good wine.  We had intended to get together for months, but with Maggie's wedding plans, school starting, it just didn't happen.  But it was worth the wait.  We all just clicked.  Good times ahead…more family to celebrate with and enjoy.

Janice, Tyler's mom, continued the tradition Debbie started.  She gave Tyler and KK a wedding topper to be used for their wedding cake.  It is just gorgeous.  I can't wait to see it on the cake.  KK was thrilled.  More to follow...

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

My new mystery --- available on amazon, Barnes and Noble, apple iBooks and other vendors.  Just visit my website for details!

"Must Your Bridesmaids' Shoes Match?"

I have four daughters.  When daughter number two became engaged, she of course asked her three sisters to be bridesmaids.  Lots of drama in the house with a bride and three bridesmaids in residence.  You may think the bridesmaids' dress was the main topic of conversation…well, you'd be wrong.  It was the shoes!  There were four very different ideas, well FIVE if you count mine…  So I ask you, "Must The Bridesmaids Shoes Match?"

In the photo above, from the bridaldetective.com, all the bridesmaids are wearing different shoes, but they are the same shade of red.  I happen to love this.  It flows, but allows for individual tastes, comfort, and age appropriateness. The bridesmaids and shoes can also be a way for the bride to express her color scheme or theme.  The picture below, from theweddingspecialist.net, shows how a bride used her attendants shoes to create a unique color scheme and tone for her wedding.  I like how the bouquets match the maids' shoes.  I'm guessing that this tone was carried throughout the decorating and floral arrangements.  The black of the bridesmaids' dresses, (once a social taboo), provides the perfect backdrop for the vivid shoe and flower color.

The photo above, merle shop.com, takes shoe color in a whole different direction.  It appears the dresses are the same style, but different colors with shoes to match.  The bouquets are the same for each lady.  The theme goes back to my era, where a "rainbow" color scheme was popular, and shoes were purchased in a stock white fabric and dyed to match the dresses.

And what did my daughters finally decide?  Well, a gold tone was the color of choice, so half the girls wore flats, and the other half heels.  Maggie left it to the desecration of her attendants.  In the photo below, you can see that two of my daughters opted for heels, and the oldest, flats.

Please visit my website: http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best and check out my new mystery "Simply the Best" by Mary P. Karnes.  It's about a wedding planner in Santa Barbara, California.  It's available on e-book format from amazon, Garners, Barnes and Noble, Apple iBooks, and other vendors.

You can also follow me on Twitter @marypkarnes

KK's Wedding Site

www.staugustineglastonbury.com

KK and Tyler have chosen St. Augustine Parish, South Glastonbury, CT for their wedding ceremony.  We have three Catholic Parishes in town, a community of just over 30,000.  The church were we attend is wonderful, St. Dunstan.  Our priest is almost perfect.  But the church building it a victim of the 1970's architecture.  Maybe one wedding a year is held there.  The priests in Glastonbury have a good working relationship, and as long as you are registered parishioners, you may be married in one of the three churches in town.  If you will remember, Maggie and Rob were married at St. Paul's on Main Street.  (see photo below.  Image results: ebay.com)

Where St. Paul's has a more formal air, (like Maggie and Rob's wedding), St. Augustine's has a more relaxed, quaint silhouette.  It's going to be fun to decorate!

Please read below a brief description of St Augustine's form historicbuildingsct.com 

"On April 7, 1878, Bishop Thomas Galberry blessed the cornerstone of a new Catholic chapel on Hopewell Road in South Glastonbury. It was a mission of St. Mary’s Church in East Hartford and was dedicated to St. Augustine on November 17, 1878. St. Augustine became a parish in March 1902."

marabethgildersleeve.point2agent.com

Above is a picture of a boat dock on the Connecticut River in Glastonbury, CT