As the poet Robert Burns wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men/Often go awry.” The days leading up to our wedding seemed to pass faster and faster, and the realization that we were only four weeks away finally set in. A mixture of anxiety, excitement, urgency, and happiness overcame my fiancée Claudia and I. Our 250-person seating chart was almost finalized, dresses had been altered to size, vendors were all confirmed and the wedding-day timeline was complete. All that was left to do was sit back and wait for the wedding to arrive.
Then the unthinkable happened and we were shaken from our happy state — my grandfather fell ill and passed away quickly. He was the patriarch of our family for nearly 60 years, and at 85 years old, he was still very active and health conscious, serving as a role model and mentor to all of us. Family from across the country arrived into town to pay their respects, say goodbye, and comfort my grandmother. During this time, many family members also regretfully indicated to us that they would no longer be able to make the trip out for our wedding. Considering the circumstances, this was understandable: Our hearts were heavy and the sting of loss remained fresh and real in the following weeks.
Photo Credit: Stephen Martin Photography
Loverly is the heart of weddings: a visual inspiration search engine designed to help brides discover ideas, people to hire, and things to buy. Loverly makes finding beautiful wedding inspiration easier than ever! Their images are powered by the best wedding publishers and wedding shopping partners on the web. Find Bridal Guide on Loverly >>
We adore classic confetti tosses, either as a way to celebrate right after your ceremony or as you make your getaway at the end of your wedding. There are few things that say “epic bash” more than confetti! However, confetti has uses far beyond the traditional toss. Let’s face it — we all adore the bright colors, so why not revolve your entire celebration around whimsical confetti colors? Think about adding a pop of sparkle by wearing a sequined bolero or including a piñata in your photo booth backdrop! Here are our favorite ideas for your confetti-themed celebration from Lover.ly:
We love these ombré invites, complete with sequins!
Last week, I had the pleasure of assisting on two Bridal Guide photo shoots. As the fashion intern, one of my most important tasks was to steam every dress prior to each shot — and this job was no small task. At photo shoots, we use steamers to eliminate wrinkles from the gowns and ensure that each dress is in tip-top, camera-ready condition. By the end of the steaming process, every dress looks crisp, smooth and picture-perfect.
Now, I don’t know if it’s considered common knowledge or if I was simply kept out of the loop, but prior to my experience at Bridal Guide, I had never steamed anything in my life (besides broccoli or carrots). Luckily, my bosses, whom I affectionately refer to as “the fashion girls,” brought along the Rowenta IS6300 Master Valet Garment Steamer to aid me in my grand endeavor.
The Rowenta Steamer is a true gem. Not only does it heat up in a mere 60 seconds (almost instantly ready for use), but it is specially crafted to diffuse steam across large surface areas. This means that less time spent steaming and there is more efficient wrinkle removal. Additionally, the hose is malleable, so it is easy to maneuver around the dress. Needless to say, I successfully de-wrinkled those gowns quickly and seamlessly and they looked beautiful.
So to sum it all up, when you ask yourself this key big-day question: to steam or not to steam? The answer should no doubt be the affirmative choice: to steam (with a Rowenta IS6300 Steamer, of course).
Photo by: Jasmine Star Photography on Bridal Musings via Lover.ly
Tip of the Day: Who says that only brides can do a second look? Have your groom get in on the fun, too! If he's wearing a formal tie for the ceremony he can switch to a striped or patterned tie for the reception. This change-up makes for a great photo op.
Plus, Grooms Reveal What They're Really Thinking at the Altar. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more great tips and advice.
Photo by: Leonel Medrano and Iris Bai on Polka-Dot Bride via Lover.ly
Tip of the Day: Bridesmaids are more concerned with the color of the dress they’ll wear than the style. After all, not every color looks great on every woman’s skin tone, so start by asking your bridesmaids to send you the top three colors they love to wear. Take their votes into consideration to find a hue that looks fabulous on the entire group.
Consider jewel tones like sapphire, ruby, and emerald, which look gorgeous on a variety of different skin tones. Universally-pretty shades for summer weddings include coral and turquoise. Avoid silver or light gray dresses if you have bridesmaids who are very pale. And if you just can't find one shade to flatter all of your girls, black is always a stylish and classic choice!
Plus, check out The Top 5 Bridesmaid Dress Trends. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more great tips and advice.
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Not everything about marriage is pretty. And the couples who make it accept and love that fact. Here's what they want you to know.
1. Only puppies want to be on top of each other—and they get tired of it, too. Sometimes, you need your space.
Back to the grind today! Here are a few lessons learned from the past week on my wedding weight-loss program.
Get rid of sore muscles with light exercise.
Monday morning, I was still so sore from Saturday’s workout with Bonne Marcus — I could still barely get out of bed, let alone walk down the stairs. Every time I got up from my desk chair at work, it took a few seconds to get my legs to move! Bonne told me to just do some abs tonight and try some light cardio to help bring fresh oxygenated blood to my muscles, which are sore from lactic acid buildup.
Getting home from work was a disaster, thanks to a train derailment on the Long Island Railroad – all trains were cancelled, and I didn’t get home until 9 p.m., so that light cardio was not happening. I did do 50 crunches and 20 side crunches before I got in bed, so at least I did something! And when I woke up the following morning, I wasn’t nearly as sore anymore. Thank God! I thought I was never going to feel better.
You can still eat your favorite foods; just in smaller portions.
After Monday’s nightmare commute, we needed a quick and easy dinner. We ordered Chinese, and I ate just a few pieces of Sesame Chicken with brown rice.
Photo by: Kelly Maughan on Snippet and Ink via Lover.ly
Tip of the Day: One of the biggest makeup mistakes for brides is going overboard with blush or bronzer, thinking that contouring stripes on their cheeks or jawline will thin their face in photos. That may happen, but in real life, those brown streaks are a dead giveaway that they did their own makeup. Always practice with bronzers and blushes ahead of time, and take a magnifying mirror outside into natural light to be sure you look smooth, blended, and natural in person.
Plus, check out The Best Bridal Makeup Products. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more great advice and tips.
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