Wedding Customs and Superstitions...

Surnames -It was thought unlucky for a woman to marry a man whose surname began with the same letter as hers
Choosing the Day-Although most weddings now take place on a Saturday it was considered unlucky in the past
Something Old, Something Blue ...The rhyme originated in Victorian times although some of customs referred in it are much older. The "something old" represents the couples friends who will hopefully remain close during the marriage. Traditionally this was old garter which given to the bride by a happily married woman in the hope that her happiness in marriage would be passed on to the new bride.
"Something new" symbolises the newlyweds' happy and prosperous future.
The "something borrowed" is often lent by the bride's family and is an item much valued by the family. The bride must return the item to ensure good luck.
The custom of the bride wearing "something blue" originated in ancient Israel where the bride wore a blue ribbon in her hair to represent fidelity

Wedding Dress-It is thought unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress. The bride should not wear her entire outfit before the wedding day. Some brides leave a final stich on the dress undone until it is time to leave for the ceremony when the outfit is completed.
Dress Colour-Most brides today marry in white which symbolises maidenhood. This tradition started by the rich in sixteenth century. The tradition was given a boost by Queen Victoria who chose to marry in white instead of silver which was the traditional colour of Royal brides. Before the white dress brides wore their best dress.
The Veil-The veil was originally worn by Roman brides. It was thought that it would disguise the bride and therefore outwit malevolent spirits
Flowers-Flowers have always been used for decoration at weddings
On the Way to the Wedding-When the bride is ready to leave the house for the wedding ceremony a last look in the mirror will bring her good luck
Bridesmaids-Bridesmaids were dressed in a similar way to the bride for the same reason as the origin of veil
The Couple's First Purchase-It is said that the first partner who buys a new item after the wedding will be the dominant one
The Wedding Cake-Cutting the wedding cake is now part of the ritual celebrations at the reception. The couple make the first cut together to symbolise their shared future.
Confetti-Confetti is Italian for sweets which in Italy are thrown over the couple as they emerge from the Church
Shoes-In the past there have been a number of customs involving shoes
Bouquet-After the reception the bride throws her bouquet back over her shoulder
Crossing the Threshold-It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold when they enter their home for the first time
The Best Man-It is the best man's duty to protect the groom from bad luck
The Honeymoon-The term "honeymoon" is though to originate from the times when a man captured his bride

Statistics...Where do you fall?

2.3 million couples wed every year in the US. That breaks down to nearly 6,200 weddings a day

• the average age of a bride in the US is 25.3
• average age of a groom is 26.9
• average number of guests invited to a wedding is 178
• one-third of those getting married each year have been married before
The money behind the marriage
• $72 billion per year is spent on weddings
• the average wedding budget is $20,000
• $1,016 is the average cost of wedding rings for the bride and groom
• traditionally, the father of the bride would pay for everything. Today, however, the bride and groom themselves pay for the wedding about 30 percent of the time; the bride's parents pay about 17 percent of the time. As for the rest of the time, costs are covered by different sources -- the bride and groom and one or both sets of parents, according to surveys by Bride's magazine.
• $19 billion per year is spent on wedding gift registries
• $8 billion per year is spent on honeymoons
• the average honeymoon budget is $3,657
• over 91 percent of all to-be-weds register for gifts. The couple receives gifts from an average of 200 guests
• most wedding guests spend between $70 and $100 on a gift
Timing of weddings
• June is the most popular month for weddings, then August, followed by September and October

here's a monthly breakdown:
January 4.7%
February 7.0%
March 6.1%
April 7.4%
May 9.8%
June 10.8%
July 9.7%
August 10.2%
September 9.6%
October 9.4%
November 7.4%
December 7.8%

Where do weddings take place?
• 80 percent of weddings are performed in churches or synagogues
Honeymoons
• 99 percent of newlyweds take a honeymoon
• the average couple will spend three times more on their honeymoon than a regular vacation
• 40 percent of honeymooners will travel within the United States, about 60 percent will travel to a foreign country• honeymoons usually last 7 to 9 days
• the most popular destinations are Las Vegas, Hawaii, the Caribbean, andJamaica
• 35 percent of brides and grooms have a valid passport

Other Interesting Info
• the top wedding city in the world is Istanbul, Turkey with 166,000 for the year
• Las Vegas, Nevada is in second place with 114,000 weddings.

Trending Right Now

OK, Here's what's trending this very minute...September 27th, 2010.

Top 10 Trends:

1. Shorter, Tea Length Dresses

(For the winter, use a heavy silk dress and throw over a bolero or even an overcoat.

2. Comfort in your Reception Site

(Make people feel comfortable at your reception. Instead of pews, hardback chairs or just standing; consider hay bales with big quilts or even blankets on the ground. Indoors, try some couches, large pillows and comfy chairs. Your guests will appreciate the vibe of being in a living room hanging with their friends.)

3. Dinner Focused Reception

(Instead of a huge dancefloor, loud music and a buffet consider an intimate dinner. Think "dinner party" To achieve this level of comfort, order starter plates to get guests munching and chatting from the get-go and choose a dinner menu of the meat-and-potatoes variety. Have the meal served family-style so that all the food, wine, and iced tea or lemonade is set in the middle of the table for guests to help themselves, just like they’d do at their own homes. Do it this way and you’ll encourage conversation and create a more intimate atmosphere.)

4. Classic White Cakes

(Forget cupcakes wedding cakes and candy bars the classic tiered wedding cake is back. Also, forget the oh so perfected fondant.....Classic BUTTERCREAM is also back!

5. Textural Centerpieces

(Your very tall, smooth centerpieces haven fallen to low-textured centerpieces. Instead of roses and calla lilies try crisp autums foliage or snow covered evergreen. To add extra texture, wrap your bouquets with lace.)

6. Turn-Table DJ's

(And I'm not talking about the old ipod with speakers. Let an authentic turn-table Dj mix music specifically tailored to the liking of your guests.)

7. Souped up Photo Booth

(OH yeah, the photo booth isn't going anywhere just add some props. Line your background with fabric that matches your color scheme and throw some hats, sunglasses and boas for fun photo.)

8 Themed Engagement Photo Shoots

(From Mad Men to Breakfast at Tiffany's, figure out your personality and make sure it shows in your photos.)

9. Wedding Videos

(Talk to your videographer about using short wedding Super 8 wedding videos for that grainy, vintage look.)

10. A Grand Exit

(So, let's not have a firework show but something other than birdseed is always a fun alternative. Think: paper airplanes, ticker tape, sparklers.)

Not so ordinary Bridal Party Gifts...

As they say, "to each is own." So WHY brides do you feel the need to put every one of your bridesmaids in the same jewelry or shoes. If you sit back and really think about it their personalities are as different as the temperature outside from day to day. Take some time and be thoughtful. Those days of "matchy matchy" are SOOOOOO over. You choose them b/c they hold a special place in you and your fiances lives, (either by choice or marriage, haha) give them the freedom to at least express their own personality in your wedding.

Here's some Things I LOVE and they're all off of a website that makes me smile:) ETSY.com:

The custome made clutch for your fashionista.

For the Betty Homemaker of your group.

For the ever old fashioned one, an engraved hankie.

And Finally, for the ecclectic one of the group a designed comb.

Wedding Trends- Color Report for 2011

Too excited for the new color trends for 2011. Let's just get into it:

Rich Jewel Toned Hues: The deeper the color, the more luxurious the feeling is conveyed for the event. Recently, we attended a wedding where the bridesmaids wore hunter green that was accented by ivory. From customer sales trends we also see an increase in requests for deep plum, eggplant, sapphire blue and deep, ruby-red. All can be complimented with warm accents of ivory.

Purple. Purple is the new blue. Throughout history purple has been associated with richness and royalty. While deep plum has seems to be the seasonal favorite for 2010 fall brides, this trend is still continuing to be popular for 2011 weddings which are being planned. Customers are purchasing lavender accents for their upcoming spring and summer weddings and we bet all shades of purple will remain popular for the remainder of the 2011 year.

Tangerine, Warm Oranges, Gold & Mocha. Tangerine is a lovely warm color that can be used throughout the summer and fall. Spice it up with complementary colors of taupe, golds, mocha and creams. For spring affairs, oranges in the form of creamsicle, coral, apricot, and salmon also work very well.

Black and white. There has been an increase of black weddings on the rise. Black is very formal and stylish - think black tie events. But at the same time it can be made vintage when you add elegant patterns such as damask accented with modern, saturated colors such as fuchsia or Tiffany blue and add touches of crystal for added sparkle. In regard to bridesmaid's attire, many brides feel that black dresses can be used again for events - lessening the burden of expenses on the bridesmaids.

Of course whatever color you select for your wedding will be beautiful. Remember, this is your once in a lifetime event, so let your heart and color inspiration inspire your wedding, rather than the current trends in the market today.

Fine China, Old Fashioned?

You ask some bride to be's this question and they'll look at you like you have 3 heads. "Skip on the fine China, NO WAY." Of course, this probably is the same woman who you've never seen cook a day in her entire life. Let's be real though, woman just don't cook and entertain as they used to. The woman's place back in the old days was in the home; taking care of the children, cooking, and cleaning. It might have been useful to have an extremely nice set of china to bring out for all of your guests or to simply impress. But...Let me ask you a question...How many people do you know who have received a whole expensive set of fine china for wedding gifts and it hasn't come out of their curio cabinet?

I'm here to offer you an alternative to fine china and thats HOLIDAY WARE. Everyone knows that even the person who hardly ever entertains will most likely one day or another entertain around the holidays, whether that be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years. What an exciting time to have holiday ware! Check out these pieces that might work for a fine china alternative.

I ACTUALLY DID THIS, oh yeah....Even though I do LOVE to entertain I registered for the fitz and floyd town and country set...AND LOVE IT! Here's a few pictures!!!!

Where's my Winter Weather Brides?

Who doesn't love the crisp air nipping at your toes, or the thought of hot chocolate and spiced cider to warm your soul. Don't you just feel like people are nicer around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Are you a bride who's having your wedding in the winter months. GREAT IDEA! You wanna know why; b/c there are so many great items to decorate with.

Having your wedding around Christmas time? Take advantage of your venues Decorations (trees, twinkle lights and poinsettias) Or instead of flowers how about bare branches like the picture above. (Decorate them with a candle underneath and let the glow illuminate through.)

Also, think "season" when you are thinking about your favors. I'm a huge fan of coffee beans, hot chocolate packets or spiced tea and cider. You can also serve all of these at your reception or cocktail hour! OOOOOOHHHHH I can't wait for the Cooler Months!