Zara’s Winter Wonderland – and the Last Minute Carnations

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Having had a bit more time to gather our thoughts about Zara Phillips (now Tindall)’s bouquet from her wedding this past Saturday, we figured we would share a few as it seems our posts about the royals are terribly popular! Greetings UK and AU readers, should you return for this one! Now that we are done harumphing about the stolen sleeves, we got a good look at the church flowers as well as the bouquet in further detail.

First of all, can we say how much we love the shot of the designer on the ladder finishing the Church flowers?

https://mylittleflowershop.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/radiant2bbride2bzara2bphillips2bbeams2bas2bshe2bmakes2bher2bway2binto2bthe2bchurch2bto2bmarry2bmike2btindall2b3.jpg?w=300 It is beyond gratifying to know that even at Royal weddings there is last minute scurrying and hurrying. Somehow we had in our minds this picture of posh English designers in beautiful sun hats admiring their perfect work finished since 3AM. So the guy on the ladder furiously adding flowers a few hours before the wedding was marvelous.

About the flowers themselves: LOVE them!  Our favorite thing: she’s re-introduced the use of carnations into high end floral decor. Yes – worked in there between those gorgeous hydrangea blooms, are puffy white carnations. Carnations get a bad rap – they are so useful and come in a million colors. Somewhere along the way they got labeled as cheap, and it’s true the are budget friendly. But it’s all in how you use them, and we’ll address that it another blog entry. Needless to say Zara – well done my dear.

The bridal bouquet itself is an interesting one. Retro in a 1974 “Winter Wedding Wonderland” way, it doesn’t give the slightest hint of a summer wedding. Not that it takes color to do that by the way, but there’s something in the formality of this arrangement that makes it a bit too chilly. If you plan to include the frosty looking “Dusty Miller” in a bouquet, we recommend using some color to offset that winter feeling. We do like that Zara went with a hand tied bouquet with no ribbon hiding the stems. Perhaps she’ll start a bare-stemmed trend on both sides of the pond.

Whatever shall we do now that all the Royal weddings of the summer are done? I suppose we didn’t truly cover Princess Charlene of Monaco. Back to Monte Carlo, anyone?

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My Little Advice Shop: Bridesmaid Blindspots – Avoiding a Friendship Crash

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You have the ring and you’ve told your family. The next step many brides take is to select their attendants. These women (and sometimes men) will be an integral part of the next year of your life, and it is important to choose wisely.

Brides who choose their maids without forethought often end up with attendants who are not up to the task, or who are initially excited, but lose interest in participating as the big day approaches. Even worse, brides can lose friends in the stressful situations that can arise as the wedding is planned. All the drama is easily avoided if you select your wedding party carefully. Here are five tips to help you avoid inviting conflict down the aisle:

1. Take your time. Immediately after he proposes may seem like the perfect moment to ask your friends to stand up for you, but it is wiser to share the news of the engagement without raising the subject of the wedding party. Your emotions will be running high, so wait for things to settle down before making any decisions. Keep in mind, while you can always ask someone to be in your wedding, it is not an invitation you can take back.

 

2. Think about your friends’ life situations. Is one of your candidates already committed to two other weddings this year? She may be relieved just being one of your guests. A friend working three jobs to pay off her credit cards? Maybe now isn’t the time to ask her to buy a pricey dress and a plane ticket. The same consideration should apply to people with demanding schedules, and/or small children. These friends can still be included in the planning, and can be lifesavers with tasks like monitoring the guest book, or handing out programs.

3. Contemplate your maids as a group. Will everyone get along? It’s wise to think about how they will work together. If two of your close friends aren’t speaking, don’t let them turn your wedding into an episode of ‘The Hills.’ Ask one to be a bridesmaid, and invite the other to do a reading, or participate in another way. The same goes for feuding relatives, and ex co-workers on shaky ground.

Two bridesmaids and an honor attendant. The perfect support team for this bride.

4. Remember, although being a bridesmaid is an honor, it is also a job with responsibilities. If you will need a lot of help, make sure to select one or two bridesmaids you can really count on to hold everything together. Although you love her, the friend who skipped off to Bali the night before her IRS audit may not be a wise choice.

5. Lastly, don’t let anyone pressure you to include someone you wouldn’t have picked on your own. Attendant spots are not guaranteed to women whose weddings you were in, nor to your fiancé’s cousin twice removed (no matter what his Mother says). Your bridesmaids are your pillars of strength during the wedding planning process, and you want to be enthusiastic about each of the wonderful friends who accompany you down the aisle. Resentment and guilt have no place at the altar on your wedding day.

As you pick your attendants, follow your heart, but don’t lose your head. Keeping these points in mind, you will be on your way to creating an enthusiastic, supportive, and helpful bridal party.

 

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*this original article was written by our blogger for WeddingChannel.com, where it appeared during the Internet’s Pleistocene era.

Ed McMahon – a Lovely Wedding Guest

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Casino Theme Cupcakes
Like these cupcakes, sweepstakes are a safe bet for your wedding.

Congratulations, you’re engaged!  With that handsome guy or gal on your arm, it feels like you’ve won the lottery, right? So why not ride that lucky streak you’ve got going? With your status changed to “newly engaged,” you and your wedding have just become eligible for all sorts of promotional contests, sweepstakes and competitions offered by companies across the country.  Now don’t roll your eyes and leave Ed McMahon waiting at the door, he’s here to help! Whether the prize is a lovely gown, an island honeymoon, or a registry’s worth of goodies, it is most definitely worth filling out a few forms here and there. Some couple is going to reap the rewards, why not let it be you?

“But wait,” you’re thinking.  “I’m planning a wedding. I don’t have time to surf the internet looking for contests.”  Lucky for you (streak! told you!) the awesome folks at About.com have a whole section devoted to nothing but sweepstakes, with a category devoted to all things wedding. So what are you waiting for?  Get to clicking! Luck in sweepstakes is like luck in finding “the one.” He/she didn’t just fall into your apartment, right?  You got out there.  Because you gotta play to win.

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photo by Eduardo Quevedo