Saturday, January 30, 2010

New Look for Bridesmaids


Centuries ago, bridesmaids worse dresses that were similar in style, fashion and color as the bride. With a belief that evil spirits (or at least forbidding family members) may kidnap the bride to keep her from marrying the groom, wearing dresses that were basically the same prevented the evil spirits from recognizing the bride.

Somewhere along the way, bridesmaid dresses went to the other side of the spectrum, where brides wore white gowns and bridesmaids wore dresses in a rainbow of colors. At times, bridesmaid dresses were downright hideous with ruffles, hoop skirts and the like. It was almost as if the bride were punishing her friends or trying to make them look really bad in an effort to make the bride look really great.

Modern times have created sophisticated styles and colors for bridesmaid dresses. Brides have even come around to letting their bridesmaids choose their own dress so that each girl chooses a dress they like and one that flatters individual figures, shapes and sizes. Many bridesmaid dresses today are even multi-purpose and stylish enough to wear again to other events.

The Clash of Wedding Invitation Traditions with Technology


Wedding traditions stem back from the beginning of time. Computers and printers in the home are much newer to the wedding scene. From creating their own wedding invitations at home to addressing envelopes with a computer font that looks strikingly similar to calligraphy, does technology help brides or is does it cause a clash between modern times and wedding traditions? Experts and brides alike seem to agree that technology helps them carry out wedding traditions more effectively than ever before – and at time much more cost effectively as well.

Save-the-Date

A save-the-date is a courteous way of announcing to out-of-town guests that they better start making their travel arrangement because your wedding is six months to a year from now. With self-publishing sites such as Picaboo, Snapfish and Kodak, brides can upload their favorite photo of the happy couple, turn it into a postcard, magnet or coffee mug and send it out to invited guests. Even a simple save-the-date card can be created online or with desktop publishing software, stuffed in a computer-addressed envelope and dropped in the mail.

Thank You Cards

While it is acceptable to create thank you cards or to address mailing envelopes on a computer, thank you notes still need to be handwritten. Include a personal note, mentioning the gift received and sign it with both of your names. Running the same printed message through your computer printer, complete with computer printed names is very impersonal, Hand written thank you notes are one tradition you want to stick to using.

Labels

It’s not a recommendation to use mailing labels to address your wedding invitations, thank you cards or any other wedding stationary. If you do, however, decide to use labels use clear mailing labels for printing so they are less noticeable when you slap them on the envelope.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

How to Tie a Box Knot on a Bridesmaid Dress

When your bridesmaid dresses have a waist sash or tie of some sort, you can choose to tie the ribbon or material in several different ways. One option is to do a box tie, which is also known as a box knot. It is easier to do a box tie on someone else than to try to do it on your dress, so you may want to assign someone to tie all of the bridesmaid dresses rather than leave it to each individual girl.

Align each piece of ribbon or material. Pull the ribbon or material to be tied so that it lines up to an equal length on each side.

Cross over. Take the right side of the ribbon or material and cross it over the top of the left side of the ribbon or material.

Create loops and weave. Take the end of the piece of ribbon that is now on the bottom and pull it up and over the right of the top piece.

Repeat the opposite to create loop and weave. Take the end of the top piece of ribbon and pull it under and through the loop. Pull it over the top piece and under the left piece of the ribbon.

Secure the knot. Take the right side and pull it down and through the right loop so that it is a bit loose. When passing through the loop, the end should go under and then over. Repeat this step with the left side except the end should go over and then under when going through the loop.

Tips
This type of know should only be used as decoration rather than in effort to secure someone or something.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

How to Make Handkerchiefs for the Mother of the Bride


Delicate handkerchiefs are a traditional gift for a bride to present to her mother as well as other members of her bridal party. Although this time-honored custom is not always continued today, monogrammed or delicately embroidered hankies are still a lovely way to honor the bride’s mother and give her something beautiful to dry her happy tears on your wedding day. With a few common sewing tools, you can whip up this easy project in no time.

Things You’ll Need

1. Linen or sheer cotton fabric (preferably white or ivory)
2. Measuring tool Scissors or rotary cutter
3. Iron
4. Pins
5.Sewing machine with matching thread
6. Water soluble fabric marker
7. Embroidery needle and thread

Step 1: Cut out your pre-washed and ironed linen or cotton fabric to measure 12 x 12 inches. Linen is a more traditional handkerchief material, although a delicate and sheer cotton can be used instead if you find linen difficult to work with.

Step 2: Fold down and iron each edge ¼-inch. Repeat this step to create another ¼-inch fold, and secure with pins. This will ensure that there are no raw edges on either side of the handkerchief when you are done.

Step 3: Use your sewing machine to sew a straight or zigzag stitch along the edge of the fold you created. You might prefer instead to use a more decorative stitch depending on what your machine is capable of and the style you want for the hankie. The thread for the edge should typically match the ivory or white material you are working with, but a pastel blue or even one of your wedding colors can be equally appropriate.

Step 4: Using your fabric marker, draw the letter, word, or even phrase that you want to embroider on the hankie. Traditionally, this should appear on one of the corners so it is visible when folded. Your mother’s first initial will make a pretty monogram. The word “mother” or the phrase “mother or the bride” spelled out is even more special but will take a little more time to complete. You might even decide to include the wedding date.

Step 5: Thread the embroidery needle with the embroidery thread, preferably in a color that matches or coordinates with the thread along the edges, and stitch out the monogram, phrase, etc. that you have drawn out.

Step 6: Lightly wet over where you have embroidered to remove the ink markings. Once dry, run a warm iron over the completed handkerchief, and fold to where the embroidery shows in the corner.

Tips

As you sew down the folded edges, make sure that the fabric at the corners does not hang over. This might require you to fold under the corner edges before you sew.

Instead of a monogram, word, phrase, or wedding date, a bridal handkerchief can alternately be embroidered with a pretty flower or other simple design depending on your mother’s style and your embroidering skills.

If the thought of hand embroidery is too intimidating or you simply don’t have time, complete the hankie and take it to an embroidery shop to have it done.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Get Married Magazine Hits Newsstands


ATLANTA, January 19, 2010 - In the midst of prime engagement season, Get Married magazine hits newsstands nationwide, filling the void for brides seeking a fresh voice in bridal trends and shopping. For brides who have yet to experience the new shopping and wedding trend guide, Get Married — a tri-media wedding lifestyle resource — is offering a single free issue of Get Married magazine as a one-time special offer.

The January issue highlights 2010's best bridal trends, while giving brides an interactive guide for wedding shopping. With URLs featured alongside every product and as the first bridal publication to use Microsoft Tag, Get Married magazine enables brides to instantly shop and explore its vast selection of stylish wedding products. In an effort to streamline brides' shopping experience, nearly 80 percent of the magazine products are available in its online wedding shop (shop.getmarried.com), including free samples of wedding invitations.

“Get Married magazine keeps it real for brides. With an all-things-possible attitude and a down-to-earth point of view, the magazine showcases a diverse selection of unique ‘real bride' stories while offering accessibility to its trendy and affordable wedding product assortment,” said Stacie Francombe, CEO and founder of Get Married Media. “We not only offer brides the latest bridal trends, we let them know exactly where to buy the very things that inspire them.”

In addition to gorgeous real brides' weddings, the January issue of Get Married magazine showcases celebrity brides and star wedding experts who offer insight into what's hot in bridal fashion, designs and food:

· Celebrity brides Khloe Kardashian and Melissa Rycroft discuss the latest trends and what's hot in bridal

· Monique Lhullier, wedding dress and décor designer, talks about details behind her design process

· Wolfgang Puck, world-renowned chef, shares the wedding catering trends for 2010

· Sylvia Weinstock, wedding cake guru, offers a twist on the traditional wedding cake

· Celebrity wedding and event designer Marcy Blum offers tips on rehearsal dinner toasts

Continuing in Get Married magazine's tradition of being the only magazine to use real, celebrity wedding designers on the cover, the current issue includes an enchanting tablescape design by Tony Conway, wedding planner and owner of A Legendary Event. Conway, who designed the Precious premiere party for Tyler Perry and Oprah and has worked with Sir Elton John and Jane Fonda, was given a box of products and only four days to put together the ethereal cover design. International photo mastermind Alex Martinez shot the cover.

Where to find Get Married magazine

· On newsstands in select locations: Barnes & Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks, Book World, Hasting, Books-A-Million, additional independent bookstores

· Free first issue: Brides can receive a single issue of Get Married magazine FREE by signing up online for this special one-time offer at www.getmarried.com/register/

· Free online flipper: For this current issue, the free online flipper provides brides an interactive experience by hyperlinking all product features to a site of purchase (www.getmarried.com/magazine)

· Annual subscriptions (4 issues): Available for $14.96 (www.getmarried.com/magazine)

Additional inspirations that brides will see in the new issue of Get Married magazine include: a runway bridal fashion report, budget-savvy favors and gifts, groomsman and bridesmaid gifts, registry ideas, a deconstruction of DIY projects, super-cool save-the-dates and wedding invitations, destination hotspots, enter-to-win giveaways, local resources of wedding vendors, selection of best-loved wedding blogs, and more.

About Get Married Media

Get Married Media is a national, integrated tri-media wedding planning resource that reaches passionate brides on TV (WE tv Saturdays at 9:30am et/pt), online (www.GetMarried.com) and in print (Get Married magazine). Get Married connects brides with local and national wedding vendors and industry experts through entertainment and news.

Get Married magazine (circ. 300,000) - the new shopping and trend guide for the savvy bride - moves beyond the traditional ways of delivering a bridal publication - from the newest interactive technology and latest trends in bridal shopping and style to a colorful, fresh voice in the wedding genre. The first issue is FREE in single copy (www.getmarried.com/magazine) or bulk (magazine@getmarried.com).

Closely integrated with the TV show and Get Married magazine, the online portal at http://wedding.getmarried.com/ offers brides an interactive experience, including a wedding shop that sells wedding accessories and products as seen in the magazine, as well as a wedding blog (bloggerbrides.com), video segments from the show, articles, image galleries and wedding planning tools.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Get Married Seeks Real Brides For National Wedding Program

Casting call for brides-to-be to appear on Get Married’s show on WE tv

Get Married’s national wedding program is looking for passionate brides to appear on its television show. Throughout the half-hour program which airs every Saturday at 9:30am ET/PT on WE tv, host Stacie Francombe—Get Married’s CEO and founder—helps brides identify and match their personality with their unique bridal style. Brides are guided through an array of bridal experiences and participate in inspiring challenges with wedding professionals and experts.



Interested brides-to-be are encouraged to apply by visiting www.getmarried.com/omg where additional details are posted. Brides across the country could be saying “OMG! I’m going to be on TV!”


“Get Married’s show is all about the bride. By incorporating real brides in every episode we make a connection with our audience, showing them that every wedding element is attainable regardless of your style,” said Stacie Francombe, CEO and founder of Get Married Media. “Get Married’s show helps brides create the ultimate wedding that reflects their unique and personal style.”


Get Married’s television show on WE tv, a women-centric network dedicated to the wedding genre, is among an audience of brides seeking bright, innovative ideas and inspirations. Available in nearly 74 million homes, WE tv is the premier source for women looking to satisfy their curiosity with fascinating, original stories and entertaining content. The series will also simulcast to an additional three million on Wedding Central, a 24/7 multiplatform, interactive programming service devoted to weddings, dating and romance.



About Get Married Media
Get Married Media, a national, integrated tri-media wedding planning resource that reaches passionate brides on TV (WE tv Saturdays at 9:30am et/pt), online (www.GetMarried.com) and in print (Get Married magazine). Get Married connects brides with local and national wedding vendors and industry experts through entertainment and news.



Get Married magazine (circ. 300,000) - the new shopping and trend guide for the savvy bride - moves beyond the traditional ways of delivering a bridal publication - from the newest interactive technology and latest trends in bridal shopping and style to a colorful, fresh voice in the wedding genre. The first issue is FREE in single copy (www.getmarried.com/magazine) or bulk (magazine@getmarried.com).



Closely integrated with the TV show and Get Married magazine, the online portal at http://wedding.getmarried.com/ offers brides an interactive experience, including a wedding shop that sells wedding invitations, wedding favors, accessories and products as seen in the magazine, as well as a wedding blog (bloggerbrides.com), video segments from the show, articles, image galleries and wedding planning tools.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year

Happy Holidays