Blogs

Here’s a pretty unique gift idea that came my way recently. It’s called the Conscious Box, and it’s a fantastic treat for your nearest and dearest.

Dedicated to all things eco, fair-trade and organic, the Conscious Box is filled with lots of yummy and healthful items. The fun part is that it’s a monthly subscription service, and you can choose a 3-month or 6-month program. You can also order a one-time only box. Each month, recipients are treated to a new theme that reflects the season. They also receive a message card introducing the theme along with a daily living card that offers tips on how to live more consciously. Now, who wouldn’t want their loved ones to live happier and healthier lives?

The Autumn Box message is to “Embrace the Vitality” and use this time of year “to reinforce the balance you see in your own daily routine — a vitality rooted in respecting other beings, loving unconditionally, and actively working to improve our world.” The inside contents include a package of organic whole grain wheat pasta, lavender hand and body lotion and bath and shower gel, hand and nail cream, loose tea and more.

You might just want to order the Conscious Box for yourself to help you keep your energy up and feel your best before the big day! For more information, visit consciousbox.com.

—Diane Forden

Guest blogger: Emma Arendoski, founder and CEO of Emmaline Bride, The Wedding Guide for the Handmade Bride, a website dedicated to all things handmade for weddings. Launched in 2009, the site has grown into the leading online voice for handmade weddings. Emma's mission is to empower her readers to support handmade through the use of handcrafted wedding items for all parts of the wedding planning process.

Here, she shares an excerpt from her first book, The Handcrafted Wedding: More Than 300 Fun and Imaginative Handcrafted Ways to Personalize Your Wedding Day (Sellers Publishing, October 2012).

Edible favors are always a hit; everyone loves food, and once it’s gone... it’s gone! No holding onto a wedding favor for months afterward or feeling too guilty to throw it away. Guests who are hungry before dinner can enjoy the favor right away, while others might take it to go. Here are some delicious ideas.

Homemade Jam and Other Preserves and Savories
Whip up a jar of your own delicious strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, or peach jam, place a label on the front, and tie a ribbon around the lid. Spiced peaches, pickles, and marinated olives are other tasty choices. If making your own is too much of an undertaking, there are plenty of gourmet products available for purchase. Just add a ribbon and a thank-you tag. 

Join us every Friday for our Q&A column, where editor-in-chief Diane Forden answers one reader's biggest etiquette question. 

Q: I want to make sure that the first dance, toasts, cake-cutting and other activities proceed in a timely manner at our reception. Are there any specific guidelines to follow?

There's been a lot of buzz over an email from a bride to her prospective bridesmaids, where the bride laid out what she expects from her bridal party: buy the dress the bride selects ("everything will be affordable but if you think by affordable its [sic] going to be a $25 Forever 21 dress, then your [sic] going to the wrong wedding"), fly around the country to attend every wedding-related event (engagement party on the East coast, bachelorette party in Vegas, wedding in Vail, CO

Follow our new "Budget Breakdown" column, where we'll spotlight some of our favorite DIY projects and cost-cutting tips from real brides like yourself. We'll also reveal just how much it costs to put together those amazing celebrations from our Real Weddings gallery, to help you come up with a realistic budget for your area, guest count, and wedding style. First up: Dylan and Nancy's "Love, Rainbows, and Glitter" bash in Manitoba, Canada.

The daughter of a professional shutterbug, Nancy would tag along to Dad's photo lab and swoon over the proofs before newlyweds came to pick up their memories. So, it's not surprising that she chose to splurge on a top-notch photographer for her nuptials. She still believes that you should never leave home without your camera: "I love being there to freeze a hug, a knee-slapping laugh attack or a bride gently wiping a tear off her cheek as she listens to the love of her life profess his love to her."

Whether conventional or irreverent, the wedding dress is a focal point of most weddings. Brides search high and low, toiling over every detail to find the perfect dress: one that is flattering, stylish, and falls within budget. The green bride is no exception, except for the fact that she does not wish to add to Mother Earth’s carbon footprint with yards of fabric (most bleached with toxic chemicals) for the dress, train, and other accessories.

Although an expanding market, searching for an eco-chic wedding dress can be challenging. Here, check out five of the most popular green wedding gowns, all available on greenbrideguide.com.

1. Organza Cotton Ball Gown

The one-shoulder ball gown with a softly dazzling feather headpiece adds subtle drama and channels Old Hollywood silver screen glamour. The Organic Cotton Ball Gown is designed with fluffy layers of organic cotton and tulle. The vintage buttons in the tulle flowers on the bodice have a quietly dazzling effect. This gown is perfect for the bride seeking a lightweight, frothy wedding dress that’s oh so much fun to wear.

Organic Cotton Ball Gown, The Green Bride Guide

2. Garden Dress

Guest blogger: Rosanna Casper, co-founder of Idojour.com, a new wedding website where brides, grooms, family and friends can purchase a stylish and affordable mix of beautifully curated pieces. Designed to make wedding planning all the more inspiring and enjoyable, Idojour offers accessories and apparel for your wedding weekend, complemented by both inspirational and practical content. Rosanna oversees content, among many other things, and makes sure that everything comes together beautifully on the site.

Here, Rosanna shows how to incorporate your dog or cat into your wedding day.

All of you pet lovers out there will agree that your little furry friend is a part of the family, and it seems only natural to want to include your pet on your special day. However, working with pets presents it's own set of challenges, from venue restrictions to their general unpredictable behavior. From must take photos to apparel and other décor ideas, here are our favorite ways to incorporate your dog or cat into your wedding day.

1. To-Die-For Apparel: 
Many will argue that dressing your animal up in cute clothes is plain wrong, but on a special occasion like your wedding, how can you resist some of these adorable accessories?

Throwing a formal wedding? Dress your dog in a doggie tuxedo! For a more casual affair, have him wear a preppy bowtie. 

Who doesn't love a mermaid? Here, a few of our favorites from the runways: Peter Langner, Ines Di Santo and Kenneth Pool. This silhouette is ideal for the voluptuous bride: think Kim Kardashian, Sofia Vergara, Salma Hayak. This silhouette highlights feminine curves and is super glamorous!

When selecting a mermaid, you want to make sure the the flare of the skirt is wider than than the bodice; this gives the illusion of making your torso appear smaller.

See more of our favorite mermaid gowns!

—Naima DiFranco

Guest blogger: Emma Arendoski, founder and CEO of Emmaline Bride, The Wedding Guide for the Handmade Bride, a website dedicated to all things handmade for weddings. Launched in 2009, the site has grown into the leading online voice for handmade weddings. Emma's mission is to empower her readers to support handmade through the use of handcrafted wedding items for all parts of the wedding planning process.

Here, she shares an excerpt from her first book, The Handcrafted Wedding: More Than 300 Fun and Imaginative Handcrafted Ways to Personalize Your Wedding Day (Sellers Publishing, October 2012).

Photo Credit: © 2012 Eric Boneske Photography

With thoughtfully planned details and fun activities for guests, your wedding celebration will be the party to end all parties, one they’ll remember long after the last song is played.

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Bounce made his debut on the turntables in late 2000 and hasn't looked back. His raw talent and dedication to the craft, has made him the most sought after DJ for couples in the Washington DC area. DJ Bounce gives the extra effort to weddings and couples. "The fun part is the good vibe I get from everybody. In order for that to happen, I try to be the couple's and the people's DJ by delivering good music, good mixing, lots of dancing and good vibes. Everybody wins."
Photo Credit: Julie Pepin