Finding a Dress for the Bridesmaids

The time of having every one of top ladies wearing the same exact dress is over. Our best friends come in a variety of shapes and sizes and asking them all to wear the gorgeous strapless above the knee dress isn't just unrealistic but a little unfair. You should want everyone at your wedding to feel as beautiful as you do.
So what's the best way to go about it?

1. Picking a color and fabric

This is one is the most popular options for when you still want everyone to look alike but respect the fact that everyone has their owns tastes. You could take this a step further by asking them all to stay around the same length too and a lot of people who realize right away that everyone is in a slightly different dress.

2. Sticking with traditional

If you ask a younger girl to draw a wedding party she would probably put all the bridesmaids in simple but elegant floor length dresses with some sort of strappy top. This look has always been a staple for bridemaid dresses because all body types can wear a simple gown like this.

3. Let them choose

Sometimes you have to take a step back and realize that despite being this be the biggest day of your life, it is still just a single day in the rest of your new life with both your husband and the girls at your side. Why not let them pick out their own dress to rock out on the sideline of your wedding day? You could of course ask them to keep a general color scheme in mind if that's important to you, but you might be surprised how happier a girl is in her own clothes.

4. Everyday Dresses

This kind of goes along with letting them choose. I LOVE the maid of honor dress I wore in my best friend's wedding this past August. It was a latte colored peplum dress and I rocked it. But, no matter how hard I try, I just can't find another occasion to wear it too without looking like I just came from a wedding. So gather the girls and hit the mall. I actually recommend chain retail stores for an idea like this (JCP, Macys, etc) because if one girl finds an awesome dress in her size, its more likely that you could order the other bridemaid sizes online. This also is sometimes a cheaper alternative for your bridemaids who are already investing a lot in your wedding.





Now if having them all wear the same dress is really important to you that is FINE. To be honest, that is what is probably going to be happening with my own wedding because I'm so darn picky. But I love the idea of having options and pretending I'm not as much of a perfectionist as I am.

Happy Shopping
--the southside bride

Unforgettable Wedding

I have always told my friends, that when I get married, it will be a wedding everyone will talk about for ages. And I am sure there are a lot of bride's out there that feel the same way so I thought I would share some of my plans.

Vegas Themed

Sometimes all a girl wants is glitz and gold, and why not show it off on the biggest day of your life. Getting Dealers and getting some dollar store poker chips are easy ways to keep everyone entertained and bringing in a magician is a way to keep people amazed (if you search online its not as expensive as you would think).

Board Gamed Themed

Travel sized board games as gifts, checker piece boutoneers, sorry pieces instead of glitter, an epic taboo tournament, game conversation starters at each table and so much more! I like this theme because it really is guest focused. Despite popular opinion, your wedding isn't only about you. You are bringing together two different families and molding them into one, and your wedding day sets the tone on how these people will interact the rest of your lives.

Home Movie Themed

Pop that popcorn and rent a projector. What can be more intimate and embarrassing than sharing each others past with the new family? Encourage guests to send in pictures or DVDs with their favorite or most embarrasing shots of the bride and groom and have that playing during the reception. Get people to introduce the movies or photos by submitting stories of the bride and groom. Give out mini dollar store picture frames as favors. Its all so simple, but it is sure to make everyone leave with a huge smile on their face.

Circus/Carnival Themed

Now before you runaway with nightmares of clowns, Circuses present the opportunity to use wildly beautiful patterns and one of a kind opportunities for your guests. Things like having each bridesmaid in a animal print or flashy red, giving out animal crackers as your favors, printing out tickets for invites, serving popcorn or cotton candy as hor douves and turkey legs for dinner, and having a ball pit or a jumping castle for kids AND adults. There really is SO much you could do with this unique theme. This is honestly close to my own personal theme for my future wedding. 

I will probably hit this topic again one day, but for now those are some thought starters to help you bring some excitement to your wedding.

Now I'm off to find locations that approve ball pits. 

--The Southside Bride

I'm on a Boat!

Looking for a small intimate wedding setting?
More and more couples are jumping on the boat for both local and destination cruise weddings for their all inclusive packages and beautiful scenery.

Now getting married on a boat even locally will be expensive (think about 100-150 a plate), but everything from music, linens, alcohol to a wedding planner is usually included so if you were spending money on all of those things separately the high meal prices almost even out.

The big downfalls beside price include

• making sure you or your guests don't get seasick
• you MUST have a small wedding for a local cruise
• you have no other menu options
• you can't personalize you package at most places
• if you choose a larger boat, you wont have a private setting for long. 

But all in all, some people look good on the sea and bundling the ceremony,a location and honeymoon is awfully tempting for destination wedding lovers.

Irish Weddings

There are many ways to give a wedding an Irish touch from a little piece of jewelry to an all out traditional celebration. My advice is to pick and choose the traditions that mean the most to you and your partner because having a traditional ceremony simply to say you are really will just cause headaches in the future.

The Ring-Claddagh

(from http://www.thecountiesofireland.com)

The claddagh ring is known across the world as an Irish symbol of love, but few know the meaning behind the symbol or how to properly. The ring is composed of a heart being held by a pair of hands. The heart is also wearing a crown. The heart represents the wearers love and when worn with the point pointing out on the right hand the hands seem to be pushing love out to the world. This position tends to mean that the wearer is single. When worn on the right hand with the point in, it means that the person is in a relationship. When the ring is moved to the left hand, point out means engaged and point in means married. The crown on the ring stands for God, and it is thought that when you wear the ring pointed in the crown is on the outside sealing and protecting the heart.


The Dress-A little Something Blue

(from: http://img.alibaba.com/)

Before white, blue was the color of purity. A lot of Irish brides will work in a blue sash or pendant to represent this. Brides in blue used to walk to the church with their groom and people would recognize the marriage colors and throw everything from rice to pots and pans to bring luck to their journey.

The Flowers-Lavender or Belles of Ireland

(from gardenflowers.com)

Depending on your color scheme, both lavender and green belles are popular at Irish weddings. Lavender stands for loyalty, love and devotion. Also Irish brides tend to wear these flowers in their hair or a flowered headpiece. The Belles of Ireland are great for a green wedding but tend to be a bit expensive, so mixing them with other flowers would be best.

Traditions- Hand Fasting and Bells

(from: http://weddingbycolor.com/)

Two popular Irish traditions include the binding of the bride and grooms hands and the blessing of the matriomnal bell. The hands are bound by various colored cords that have various meaning. It is a physical and visual symbol of the bonds on marriage being created. The bell is blessed during the ceremony and placed in the newlyweds Home to reprsent their wedding vows. It is also said that during a fight the bride or groom can choose to ring the bell and the topic is dropped for the day. But it is only used in serious occasions.

I hope you're wedding and lives together are lucky!
--The Southside Bride

Now on Facebook

Hey Everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since the last post, but some new content will be on here soon! Until then head over to facebook and like our page there!
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<3
-the southside bride