The 4th of July Non-Weekend. Bad for Brides? Good for Guests? You decide.

Ah the calendar.  Tomorrow, the 4th of July falls on a WEDNESDAY for the first time in many years.  For those with office jobs whose vacation days are comparable to certain rare truffles in the food world, this is a big deal. There are calculations by which you can take only a few days off, and yet stretch your vacation and/or wedding weekend to five days, all with the aid of a well placed Monday or Friday out of the office.  Thanksgiving is the ultimate centerpiece to the art of stretching PTO: you can take a full seven days and only “spend” three.

English: OAK HARBOR, Wash. (July 4, 2011) Memb...

OAK HARBOR, Wash. (July 4, 2011) Members of the color guard assigned to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island march down Bayshore Drive during the Fourth of July Parade.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But this year (darned Gregorians) Fourth of July isn’t participating.  And some are breathing a sigh of relief.  Hint: it’s not the brides.  People who might have attended weddings this holiday, are attending barbeques.  And parades.  And celebrating Independence Day well, independently.  There are many people who don’t want to have their summer plans set for them by receiving a “save the date” in February and being expected to clear their calendars.

As a bride, it’s hard to see outside the bubble where your wedding is the Most Important Thing In The World, but sometimes people have fun things scheduled at the same time or want to have that option.  And that’s OK. (Well your sister really ought to keep her schedule open, but let the rest of your list plan their own vacations, and lead their own lives. It’s not anybody’s fault, and there shouldn’t be any lasting drama or upset about who had something else going on that day ).

All thoughts running through my head on a summer’s day… enjoy your barbeques tomorrow.  And the weddings that are happening this weekend!  Remember, you can always have sparklers no matter what time of year it is*  And no matter who comes, or what the season, your wedding will light up with joy and memories for everyone.

Live well, and love well.

Dinah

 

* please check the fire regulations in your area and at your venue!

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Why I love “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.” Hey TLC, We Want To Plan One! Call Us!

By now most people have heard about the raucous, Swarovski crystal-covered Gypsy wedding extravaganzas shown on TLC not just on their appointed night, but pretty much any time you turn on the TV.  Some people can’t take it, they have to turn it off. Others are fascinated, like they are watching a bad traffic accident and they can’t look away.  As for us, well, we want an invitation.

Weddings are full of joy in any community. Who’s to say they should be prim and proper? We lecture over and over again that brides should have the wedding they want, not what they see in the magazines or what’s “fashionable” just for the sake of it. Those magazines also say “be yourself!” and “It’s your day – make it what you want!” These families are realizing their vision, and it’s no one’s place to judge what they think is meaningful or beautiful.  We love these weddings (and the dresses, and the cakes, and all of what the conventional thinkers would call “over the top” details) for the energy and the feeling behind it. Here’s a community that’s marching to the beat of its own drum. And what a parade!

So TLC, we know you’re casting brides.  How ’bout letting some vendors in on the action?  We’ll hang a banner- My Little Gypsy Flower Shop. Have Swarovski, will travel.

Live well, and love well.

-Dinah

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Karma, Fate, Destiny…with your wedding vendors. Embrace it!

In Chicago over the holiday weekend, while waiting for a table at Hyde Park‘s Original Pancake House, my family and I bumped into the wonderful and talented Julia Needlman, of Julia Needlman Custom Couture, the woman who made my custom wedding gown. It was wonderful to see her (and her mother – my nursery school teacher) and have her meet my husband. Somehow it felt very much like things came full circle.

Meeting Julia was almost a magical experience.  She saw inside my head, and pulled out what I wanted my wedding dress to look like.  Sitting in her studio talking, I forgot I hadn’t known her forever.  She made the process feel organic, and very special.  Some girls may want the whole Kleinfeld “Say Yes To The Dress” experience, but having visited one bridal shop with mom and mom-in-law in tow, I felt something else was more to my liking.  And Julia felt right.  So seeing her again, was like fate.  Goodness knows I had talked about her nonstop, and now Stephen got to meet her, and we got to catch up…it was just a lovely moment.

Julia's brilliant dressmaking in action under the huppah

So.  Flash forward a year.  Are you going to be delighted to run into people who worked on your wedding?  Do you feel connected to your vendors?  It’s important to have that meeting of the minds – and yes, hearts, with the people who make your wedding day tick.  Memories aren’t made to keep to yourself, you want to share them with everyone who had a part in making your dream a reality. Make sure your vendors are people you want to be in those memories, and to share them with!

Be well, and love well.

Dinah

PS – Speaking of “Say Yes To The Dress,” don’t forget that “Randy to the Rescue” will premiere on TLC on June 15th starring my brilliant hairstylist Paul Norton! (oh yeah – and that Randy guy too).

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New Wedding Show? Get Me Some Popcorn! Especially since my friend is in it!

I wrote Friday about my brilliant hairstylist, Paul Norton.  Well, he’s on a new bridal make-over show debuting in a few weeks on TLC!  It stars Randy, the colorful manager of Kleinfeld’s from “Say Yes To The Dress, and of course, Paul.  Check it out!

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Cori, Our Adorable DIY Bride Gets Blog Coverage Along With Her Beautiful Bouquet!

Cori wrote to us to share her big internet moment! We’ve re-posted this from LoveToastBlog

South African Jewish Wedding by Sweet Tea Imagery

3.22.2012

For those of you that haven’t typically heard of a South African Jewish wedding, Cori and Adam would describe it in just one word as “nuts!” Along with having a D.J. that sounds like the Geico Gecko, surprise guests, and techno disco mixed in to their first dance, their Palm Springs wedding is just the prettiest thing we’ve ever seen. The stunning setting with breathtaking views didn’t need much decorating, but the DIY details added that extra touch of personalization. We love how the pops of blue and green colors and the cacti and succulents in the bouquet compliment the desert setting!

Venue: The O’Donnell House At The Willows Historic Inn, Palm Springs, CA/ Dress:  Nicole Miller/ Shoes: Matisse Maldives Sandal/ Dessert: Gayle Glass, MOB, made cookies and bars/ Catering: Jennifer’s Kitchen (she was awesome to work with from day one!)/ Invites & Programs: Stacie Malkus- Leftwave Designs- Sister of the bride made the invitations, Bride made the programs (they were really just explanations of a Jewish wedding, more than a program)/ Bridal Bouquet: My Little Flower Shop/ Flowers: Mostly just pinwheels. We ordered a few gerbera daisies from 2G Roses (online), which worked out well because my awesome friends cut them all for me!/ Pinwheels: My Rule 42 Etsy Shop (smaller pinwheels handmade by bride)/ Music: DJ Chris Paul- He sounds like the Geiko Gecko. We loved him! Photographer: Sweet Tea Imagery (Amy and Billy Morris were AMAZING photographers to work with!!!!) Videographer: Imagique Weddings (We weren’t going to have our wedding filmed but then somebody told us how much her kids love watching her wedding. Our friend Danny from South Africa edits videos, so he took the raw footage home with him, and he is editing it as our wedding gift!)/ Hair & Makeup: Salon Mirror Mirror

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Grandma’s Advice That Shows (Or Doesn’t) on The Red Carpet

In terms of clothing, Grandmas across America have a lot of advice.  Among my favorites:

“Wear a lined bra so your nipples don’t show. You’ll look like a lady.”

“Never get rid of rhinestone jewelry, it always comes back into style.”

and the all-time classic,

“Be yourself.”

That last one was on display for all the world to see last night in Hollywood at the Academy Awards.  You can always tell who feels comfortable in their gown, and who got talked into a dress she was told would be “faaaaabulous” by some stylist trying to get her name in the paper.

We had a lot of love last night for Melissa McCarthy, nominee for best supporting actress for “Bridesmaids.”  They were ripping her dress to shreds on E! during their pre-show when her stylist came on and told the story of how they collaborated on the dress, and how happy she was with it, and how she loved it more than any dress she’d ever had.  And she looked great.  Why? She was happy. She was comfortable.  She was being herself.  (Note to Grandma McCarthy – don’t worry.  She looked like a lady).

A happy, glowing Melissa McCarthy. Being 100% Herself.

Make sure you feel like yourself in your wedding dress.  Whether or not you’re a lady? That’s up to you.

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Freezing at an Outdoor Winter Wonderland Wedding

We’ve all misjudged or ignored winter weather to wear something sassy to a holiday party, and frozen our cute patooties off.  The less fortunate among us have stood at an outdoor wedding ceremony wishing a bad cold upon the head of Alfred Angelo or whoever designed the bridesmaids’ dress

Chances are, any bride whose maids are freezing is also trying to keep her own teeth from chattering.  And let me just tell you, that does not make for pretty pictures. If you’re dreaming of a strapless gown (and having your girls echo your style), here are three ways to combat the cold.

1)  Wrap it up!  Your bridesmaids will thank you if their gift is not jewelry but a lovely wrap to wear at your outdoor New Year’s Eve ceremony.  In Alaska. Your Maid-of-Honor can carry one for you, and wait for your “I’m cold” signal.

2)  Shrug it…on!  Many strapless gowns look lovely with a little shrug.  Look at your bridal shop or at an elegant boutique –

Photo courtesy of Emery & Company http://www.emerycophoto.com

chances are you’ll be able to find a look just cozy enough if you and the girls need that extra layer

3)  Go Solar-flo! That’s the rental biz name for the mushroomish heaters you see at events. Use them near your ceremony area to keep things toasty, and get them wrapped by the rental company so they aren’t quite so un-decorative.

So there are a few of our favorite things in terms of keeping girls in white dresses (and her sisters in blue satin sashes) warm. Julie Andrews can keep the snowflakes that sit on her nose and eyelashes, K?

Stay warm y’all.

-Dinah

Holy Matrimony, Batman, It’s Superhero Weddings!

funny wedding photos - SuperWed
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Superheros are people too. And we’re all about equality at My Little Flower Shop, so we’re sharing this wonderful collage of superhero wedding moments from our wonderful pals at Wedinator (a wedding humor site brought to you by the brilliant creators of the I Can Has Cheezburger cat phenomenon).

Top 5 observations:

1) Lois Lane is a total mash-up of Jacquie Kennedy and Cinderella

2) Aquaman had the most adventurous event designer – a pink platform and a giant shell-style backdrop make quite a dramatic statement.

3) Rays of light, torrential winds and/or the ability to fly make for terrific wedding pictures

4) Even with a doily on your head, Flash Gordon will still come to your rescue.

5) Although I’m not on board with Wonder Woman’s outfit, an invisible plane makes for one heck of a grand entrance!

In other comic book society news, we’re totally impressed that the Archie comics’ gay character will be marrying his partner in an upcoming issue. Congratulations to them both – and their creators.

Holy Matrimony, Batman, It’s Superhero Weddings!

funny wedding photos - SuperWed
see more Wedinator

Superheros are people too. And we’re all about equality at My Little Flower Shop, so we’re sharing this wonderful collage of superhero wedding moments from our wonderful pals at Wedinator (a wedding humor site brought to you by the brilliant creators of the I Can Has Cheezburger cat phenomenon).

Top 5 observations:

1) Lois Lane is a total mash-up of Jacquie Kennedy and Cinderella

2) Aquaman had the most adventurous event designer – a pink platform and a giant shell-style backdrop make quite a dramatic statement.

3) Rays of light, torrential winds and/or the ability to fly make for terrific wedding pictures

4) Even with a doily on your head, Flash Gordon will still come to your rescue.

5) Although I’m not on board with Wonder Woman’s outfit, an invisible plane makes for one heck of a grand entrance!

In other comic book society news, we’re totally impressed that the Archie comics’ gay character will be marrying his partner in an upcoming issue. Congratulations to them both – and their creators.

Tradition! It’s not just a number in Fiddler on The Roof

There are lots of ways to include family traditions in your wedding.  Here”s a unique story of a dress that has been passed down through a family since 1887!  If you want to kick this one off, think classic ladies!
funny wedding photos - dress - 127 years old - 127 Years Young
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