Your wedding is your time to let your personality shine through! Create a day that reflects you and your fiance’s style, filling it with details that are unlike anything seen at other weddings!  My favorite part of weddings is seeing those quirky details that I would have never thought about! To clear up any confusion, my view on the term quirky is not negative but a fabulous way to make your wedding your own!

Rock n’ Roll Bride is a blog I read that truly highlights brides’ and grooms’ individual styles.  The weddings featured here show these quirky aspects of weddings and how much fun you can have when you get creative with the details of your day!  I love reading this blog and am inspired daily to think outside of the box from the typical weddings I’ve seen.

I think it is easy to see pictures and attend weddings that creates a picture of what a wedding is “supposed” to be like.  There is a lot of talk about tradition that surrounds weddings and everyone wants to do it the correct way.  I strongly believe that there is no such thing as a “right” wedding, which is why i adore Rock n’ Roll bride so much!  It encourages not sticking with the status quo and bringing your own ideas into your day. For example, every groomsman I have worked with has complained about the shoes that come with the tux… why put yourself through pain… check out these fun shoes the group decided to wear!!

These are a few of the many unconventional pictures you can find at Rock n’ Roll Bride’s blog that is proof of how getting away from the norm can create a wedding that belongs to just you! Send me picture of your details that made your wedding unforgettably yours!

Source  Rock n’ Roll Bride

After taking a week to celebrate love around Valentine’s day, I am excited to get back to the Weddings A-to-Z Series!  I have been looking forward to this post for the simple fact that I get to write about Polka Dots!  Adding polka dots to your wedding creates a playful atmosphere and makes a fun statement to your guests.

I believe you can create a theme around polka dots for your wedding, just be careful not to overdue it!  I think you will have the best results by first choosing a main color scheme, and then adding in polka dot patterns in details where it isn’t expected!  Examples of this is finding shoes that sport the pattern or have your fiancee wear a tie as shown below.

I love when florists use polka dot ribbon to wrap the bouquet, another simple but eye catching addition to your wedding!

If you want to make a more dramatic statement with your polka dot theme you can have the bridesmaid dresses, cake and invitations covered with cheerful dots! I adore this pink J. Crew polka dot dress I saw at DC Nearlyweds!

As I mentioned earlier, this theme is playful and exciting for your guests.  Plan out the details that you want to add polka dots to and have fun with it!

I can not finish a blog on polka dots without mentioning Australia’s Polka Dot Bride!  Her blog is not only inspirational but it will give you so many ideas for stylish additions to your wedding!

Sources: Apple Cellar Bakery, Amy Carroll Photography, Katie and Ryan’s Wedding, Bizarre Wedding Flowers, Huckleberry Karen Blog, Favor Studio, DC Nearlyweds

As a bride, you may give yourself over a year to plan, and have as many binders and to-do lists as humanly possible, but I want to let you in on a little secret: Something on the Big Day will not go as planned!  This post is written to help you breathe, look at the bigger picture and enjoy your wedding day!

Worst case scenario— You are in the middle of saying your beautifully written out vows, and you feel everyone looking at you. The outside heat of the hot June day is finally getting to you…and you faint! I promise, at the end of the day, you will still be married. (I am speaking from first-hand experience!)  I think my favorite comment was “You looked so graceful falling into your dress”! Let’s be honest, I scared 250 of my friends and family to death.  I could have very easily let my embarrassment get the best of me and let my wedding day be ruined, but I didn’t.  I came to, made a joke about it, and continued on with the ceremony. I was determined to make it to the final kiss, (whether I remembered the ceremony or not!)  My friends’ comments that night consisted of “that was the most exciting wedding I have ever been to” (from the male guests of course), and “I can’t believe how well you handled the situation”.

That’s the key to this story: dealing with obstacles when they don’t go as planned on your wedding day… It is all about how you handle the situation!  In every couple’s wedding I have coordinated, something unplanned has happened (whether the bride and groom know about it or not).  You either realize that at the end of the day you will still be married despite the mishaps, or you join the “bridezilla” club and let it rain on your parade.  I would guarantee that the majority of brides you ask will have their own horror story to tell and they all lived through it.  Someone will show up late because of traffic, it will rain, the guys’ tuxes won’t fit, or the cake will melt due to the heat. Deep breaths…

Ideas to help you relax during the planning process and when the big day finally arrives:

1. Always remember the goal of the day: To marry the man of your dreams
2. Plan what you can, Prepare for the worst
3. Go on dates with your fiancee – enjoy the love you share
4. Hang up your cell phone…or give it away to someone you trust
5. Learn and practice Yoga
6. Ask for Help!!!

Whether folded, draped, stuffed in water goblets or built into a creative shape, napkins have the ability to add to beautiful table design.  Most caterers offer a standard black or white napkin with their linen package. You can use these basic colors and find ways to make them original by either adding creative napkin rings to the napkins or using contrasting colors elsewhere.

First, you need to determine what atmosphere you are trying to create for your guests.  If your ideal wedding is simple and clean, I would stick with white linens and napkins.  This will enhance the “pure white wedding” feel. You will still be able to bring your color or theme in with the centerpieces, but you will avoid making the table feel busy or overdone.

On the other hand, if you are attempting a brighter, more striking wedding, try mixing it up with your napkin colors!  Napkins are an easy way to add color to your table without overwhelming the room. Remember: “Less is more.” Adding a simple touch of color with the napkins can make the room glow!  I love these two pictures I found from The Knot. The napkins are presented in two very different ways, but still have the same effect and pop of color throughout the room.

A very common way for napkins to be used in a table setting is folded with a pocket.  Many brides use the pocket to place a menu, a small favor or flower.  This is another great way to incorporate napkins into fun table settings.

You might see napkins as minor details that are the last thing on your to-do list…and that’s fine!  They are a small consideration that can make a big difference!  I take time to blog about these little details because I truly believe that these are great ways to make your wedding stand out!

You might think what is more non-traditional than a mini-length wedding dress?  You would be surprised to hear that recently, many brides are choosing to sport the shorter lengths, especially at outdoor weddings! If you are a daring bride and want to be remembered for your original wedding style—go for the mini!   I think we will start seeing more brides going short, as it is one of the hottest trends of 2009!

The polka dots on this dress are so much fun!

Orange Tree weddings

This reminds me of Marilyn Monroe’s famous dress

This fun and flirty tea length dress allows for a more casual feel while at the wedding and helps avoid grass stains if the wedding is outside.   But don’t think just because you are choosing a short wedding dress that it means you have to host a casual wedding.  Many designers are coming out with short dresses full of style and extremely polished. These two dresses I found are absolutely high fashion and elegant:

Bridal Wave

Paul Costelloe

One of the main things that draws my eye to the shorter wedding dress is that it allows you to show off your sassy shoes that I know you spent hours shopping for! Have fun with creative shoes that add color or extra style to your outfit!

If you can not pull yourself away from the “princess” feeling you get when you are in a wedding gown, I would suggest looking into one of these shorter dresses to change into for the reception.  It will allow you to move freely and dance the night away with your guests! If you are switching dresses after the wedding, keep a similar style with both dresses, such as similar fabric or shape to keep it consistent.

Did you decide to strut a mini down the aisle?  What were the reactions from friends and family!?