Thursday, March 12, 2015

Planning the Party


Our last post was trying to reassure you that the task set before you is not completely overwhelming.  

By now you've likely taken care of the first steps to planning Bridey-poo's shower.

Let's recap what those steps are:


1: You are not alone!
2: Contact other bridesmaids and introduce yourself  (Here's some advice on that intro)
3: Ask what kind of responsibility level they are willing to take on
4: Plan a meeting 

Have you done this?

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Now let's go ahead and prepare for this meeting! Let's do this by asking yourself about Bridey-poo. Are we dealing with a woman who is:

Image result for angry bride
Proud to be high maintenance because, this is MY SPECIAL DAY!


Image result for stressed bride
In denial about how important this is to her-she's REALLY trying to rain in the bridezilla

Image result for bride relax
Super lax and chill about the whole thing and MEANS it!

*Do NOT share this evaluation with anyone, especially the bride. This is only for your planning and should never be written or communicated in anyway that she could find out what you think about her “Bridal Disposition”

Your next step is to think about Bridey-poo and her personal likes/dislikes. Is she “totally obsessed” with something?

What's the theme of the wedding?

Should you match the theme of the wedding with the shower? If you do so, are you going to also match the Bachelorette party to the wedding theme? Theme weddings are more and more common and increasingly eccentric. With so many brides “nerding out” about a favorite show or book or even a hobby, it's easy to see why these are taking over our weddings.

Once upon a time people had Civil War or sport team themed weddings and were made fun of because of it. Today we are letting our Fan Flags Fly! Here are some of our Favorite Themes for weddings.

Harry Potter:

From boarding the Hogwarts Express form Platform 9 ¾ to Dining under the “enchanted to look like the night sky” in the Great Hall we've found a slew of elegant wedding ideas for the Pott-head Bride.

Wild and Free:

Who doesn't love a good mash up? Our favorite mashup is burlap and old lace; the coming together of elegance and down to earth hard work. Some of these are so fun, we wish we could get married again! These weddings usually include elements of the sport the couple love. Hiking, cycling, canoeing, rock climbing... the list goes on.

Downton Abbey:
The show that made us wish Maggie Smith was our grandmother is now inspiring weddings. If you can make a Bride feel like she's the future Countess.


The Disney Wedding;

Ladies, we grow up watching Cinderella, Snow White, Elsa and Belle. Even if you didn't want their prince, you wanted that dress! Relive your make believe moments with a Disney Princess wedding!

If Your Favorite Disney Princess is Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Your Wedding Style is.....






Should you match the theme of the wedding with the shower? If you do so, are you going to also match the Bachelorette party to the wedding theme? Theme weddings are more and more common and increasingly eccentric. With so many brides “nerding out” about a favorite show or book or even a hobby, it's easy to see why these are taking over our weddings.

We've got a big decision to make; Do we follow the theme OR strike out on our own.

Think about it for a few days and we'll get back to you!




Part 1 of choosing the Bridal Shower Theme.   

Friday, February 13, 2015

Lessons from Kristin Wiig; OR How to host the perfect Bridal Shower

We’ve seen enough Wedding based entertainment to recognise the significance of the day.  Remember every-single-time someone got married on Friend’s?  J. Lo was our favorite wedding planner and after that movie, we all wanted her job because she got to wear the cutest shoes and eat candy in a tree with Matthew McConeghey.  If those Wedding movies weren’t enough to convince you that every moment and person involved in the day were enough, our TV’s were infiltrated with a slew of reality programming dedicated to every element of Weddings.  Even the guests are important, as we learned from our friends Vince Vaugn and Owen Wilson, those Maple-Syrup-Venture-Capitalists!
Chances are, if you’ve stumbled upon this blog, you likely find yourself in a situation more akin to Kristen Wiig’s character in Bridesmaid’s, Annie.  Bridesmaids are important! Some people believe they are just as important as the bride herself because they act as her enterage.  Bridesmaids must….
* Run interference with the future inlaws
* They suffer through extensive diet and routines to support the bride
* Help mail invitations
* Tack down ellusive band/DJ for the reception
* Bridesmaid Dress (‘nuff said)
* Basically become a Botanist to help with floral arangements
* Learn Calligraphy to address invitations
* Pour the Wine when the Bride has a breakdown
* Grab a second glass for the Mother of the Bride
* Understand the important difference between Tea Rose Pink and Medium Pink
But most importantly Bridesmaids host the Bridal Shower! 
The Bridal Shower is the more fun and low key element of the Wedding when the Bride gets all her beautiful vases, and gourmet calliber pots.  This is the day when we play games that are ALLABOUTTHEBRIDE.  It’s also the day that you, the Bridesmaid, really gets to shine!  Let’s face it, she didn’t ask you to be a bridesmaid because of your height or ability to crochet; she asked you because she knows how much you love her and knows she can depend on you. 
It’s a big compliment and honor. 
Let’s learn a few lessons from Annie, the hillariously, always wrong, good hearted bridesmaid.
1)It doesn’t have to cost a lot to work
          a.Rockwood Mill Opera House can be rented for your event, catered and arranged for a really reasonable price.  We’ve done it before, we can do it for you!  We’ve got the connections to get you a good price.  Promise!
          b.Decorations can be your biggest expense BUT if you are giving your shower a theme, this can seriously narrow the price.  There are a couple ways to take care of this innexpensive decorating, and we’ll show you how.
2)Very few people open invitations with live butterflies, so don’t think your bride expects this.
          a.Seriously.  Simplicity is a kind of elegance so roll with it. 
          b.Remember the goal of this shin-dig; get the bride lots of gifts.  If you send out invitations that imply an over-the-top, pretentious party, people are going to feel like it’s out of their league and not come.  It’s better to Keep It Simple, Sister, than to put people off.
3)You are NOT alone!  BridesmaidSSSSS, remember?
          a.Splitting the responsibilites is the smartest thing you can do. 
          b.Split the Cost, but do so graciously.  Asking everyone involved for a fairly conservative amount of money         allows the girls who can give more to do so, rather than making someone else feel bad. 
          c.Ask for ideas and share the glory.  Unless you are a certified professional, you aren’t the only one with good           ideas. 
4)A good Song makes everything better! 
          a.Just do it!  It looks like fun
�