January 28th

Photo by: Welsch Photogaphy on Events by Heidi & Kate via Lover.ly

Tip of the Day: How do you motivate a slow-to-respond bridesmaid? That’s a tricky diplomacy issue, one you shouldn't pour fuel on by sending her a nasty email accusing her of ‘always being late’ or ruining your wedding. Some people are just overwhelmed in their lives and not as quick as you are to send replies. When you do need a response from her, give her a deadline like this: "I’ll need to hear back from you by Friday, which is when I’m placing the order. Thanks!" Some people function better when they get deadlines.

Plus, check out The Biggest Bridesmaid Dilemmas: Solved! Visit sharonnaylor.net for more great wedding tips and advice.

8 Fun Bridal Shower Games

In The Emily Post Institute's latest book, Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette: 6th Edition, Emily's great-great-granddaughters Anna and Lizzie Post tackle modern-day wedding questions that the original etiquette expert never could've dreamed about, from how to use (wisely) use technology, the rules for same-sex weddings, and much more. Here, the fourth generation of Posts discuss the most common bridal shower games and traditions.

bridal shower game toilet paper wedding dress
Photo Credit: Day 7 Photography on DIY Bride via Lover.ly

Party games for bridal showers are greeted with groans or giggles. It’s all in good fun, and even if party games aren’t your thing, as the guest of honor, be a good sport and go along with what your hosts have planned. Here are some of the more popular, time-tested traditions and entertainment.

The Ribbon Bouquet
The bridesmaids collect all the ribbons from the bride’s shower presents and gather them into a bouquet for the bride to carry at the wedding rehearsal. (My grandmother remembers doing this at her bridal showers!).

10 Reasons to Love Winter Weddings

Winter weddings are growing in popularity — December is now the #3 wedding month for BG brides, behind May and June — and with good reason. Harriette Rose Katz, a top wedding planner in New York City, breaks down the top 10 reasons why winter weddings rock.

winter wedding reception
Photo courtesy of Harriette Rose Katz

1. Seasonal Décor Gives Your Wedding a Unique Touch 
A winter wedding allows you to experiment with a themed décor. An easy way to incorporate this is with natural components, such as frosted pinecones, pine leaves, snowflakes, or holiday lights to enhance your winter wedding wonderland.

winter wedding centerpiece
Photo courtesy of Harriette Rose Katz

January 27th

Photo by: Anniemade on Oh Lovely Day via Lover.ly

Tip of the Day: Love the idea of designating an Instagram hashtag for guests to use as they share their photos and videos from your wedding? A big sign at the wedding entrance is what guests have seen a ton of times; surprise them with a cute, quirky and unexpected little sign someplace they’ll definitely see it, like on their drink stirrers.

Plus, check out Easy-to-Use Wedding Photo-Sharing Apps. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more great wedding tips and advice.

34 Couples Will Get Married at the Grammy Awards Tonight

56th grammy awards
Photo via Los Angeles Times

The 56th Grammy Awards will air live tonight, and we won't just be tuning in for the red carpet fashion — The New York Times just revealed that a mass wedding will take place tonight during Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's performance! As the hip hop duo perform their Grammy-nominated marriage equality anthem, "Same Love," 34 couples of various ages, races, and sexual orientations will join the pair and exchange vows. And as you'd expect at a star-studded event, a few other celebrities will join in on the fun: Queen Latifah will be officiating, and Madonna will join the performance. The weddings “will be, in our minds, the ultimate statement of equality, that all the couples are entitled to the same exact thing," said Lewis.

The idea arose after Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich learned from his daughter that couples often propose onstage during Macklemore & Ryan Lewis concerts. So when the producer met with the musicians to discuss their upcoming performance, they decided to celebrate all kinds of love with a mass wedding. A casting agency then began searching for the real-life couples who would join in on this one-in-a-lifetime experience. At the time, the couples just knew that the wedding would occur on live television; they learned a few weeks ago that it'd be on music's biggest night of the year. 

Cool Idea: Time-Lapse Wedding Video

With a single stationary camera, A-Crew Media was able to create one of the most impressive wedding videos we've seen in a while! Since the couple, Mary Dvorsky and Steve Silver, hosted their ceremony and reception in one place, the camera was able to capture every moment of the big day, from the pre-ceremony mingling to the post-reception wrap-up. Then, the videography team sped up the footage at a rapid pace, resulting in a three and a half minute video that truly captures the essence of the wedding day. 

Mary Dvorsky and Steve Silver Wedding from Aaron Kroger on Vimeo.

This idea is such a great addition to a traditional wedding video — even though I love the video from my own wedding, it's quite a commitment to actually sit down and watch the hour-long production. How great would it be to re-watch the entire day (not just the highlights reel) in less than four minutes?

Tell us: What do you think?

—Kristen Klein

Etiquette Q&A: "Do I Need to Pay for My Bridesmaids' Hair and Make-up?"

bridesmaids paying hair professional etiquette
Photo Credit: W&E Photographie on Southern Weddings via Lover.ly

Q: Do I have to pay for my bridesmaids to have their hair and make-up done professionally? As much as I would like to, it would be very costly.

A: No, you aren’t expected to pay. Your bridesmaids can take care of their own hair and makeup. Some brides, of course, are able to absorb the fees as a thank you to their attendants. But if your budget is limited — and with costs being as high as they are — you are certainly not obligated to take on this additional expense.

—Diane Forden

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