Wedding Planning Tips for Brides -- from iVillage Wedding Expert Anne Chertoff

Finding the right shoe is very important.  In addition to matching your wedding dress it should also be comfortable, because you’ll be standing and dancing in them all night long.

I learned about a new online shoe store, Piperlime, which has a great collection of wedding day shoes.  The company has partnered with celebrity wedding planner, Mindy Weiss. (I told you about her amazing book a few weeks ago.)  Mindy suggests that every bride should have two pairs of shoes for her wedding: A fantasy shoe and a reality shoe.  The “fantasy shoes” are really over the top gorgeous, perfect for photos, and the “reality shoes” are more about comfort and being able to dance and mingle with your guests all night long.  This way you’ll have one dramatic style for your formal portraits and ceremony, and then slip into something more comfortable for your reception.

One of my favorite features on Piperlime is that they offer FREE shipping and returns.  So you can order a number of pairs in time for your first fitting, try them all on and return the ones that don’t work.  Remember your seamstress won't be able to hem your wedding dress if you don't have the shoes you will be wearing.

The site also offers these shoe shopping tips from Mindy:

• Skip the rhinestones and jewels on your shoes.  They can snag on your dress.
• Don’t forget to break in your shoes.  Start walking in them about two weeks before the wedding.  (This is also a good tip for your groom. -- AC)
• Scuff up the soles of your shoes (and his) with sandpaper so you don’t slip when you’re headed down the aisle (or on the dance floor -- AC).
• Slingbacks can be hard to keep on your foot, so pick a pump or something that goes around the ankle.

The two shoes featured above are examples of the styles available on the website.  Click these links to learn more about this fantasy shoe and reality shoe, or click here to see the entire Piperlime bridal collection.

As I mentioned yesterday, I went to a Scotland Tourism event last month.  They served two signature drinks at the event – both made with Hendrick’s Gin.  Here are images of the two cocktails and the recipes to help you find the perfect signature drink(s) for your wedding:

Rosie Lee

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
• 1 1/2 oz Lychee Juice
• 1/2 oz Rose Infused Simple Syrup
• 1/2 oz Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Directions:

Shake well and strain up into a cocktail glass over ice.

Cucumber Collins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
• 4 oz Cucumber Puree*

 Directions:  Shake and strain over ice in a tall glass

*To make cucumber puree, blend 1 cucumber with 3 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice and 4 oz simple syrup.

Both cocktails were created by Charlotte Voisey of Hendricks Gin Brand Champion

Enjoy!

Since I saw a preview of

But if you did get to see Made of Honor this weekend (this is not a spoiler, so feel free to keep reading) you know that the bride is engaged to a Scottish gentleman, and they decide to get married in Scotland.

The couple chooses a variety of Scottish traditions to include in the wedding festivities: a pre-wedding sporting event, the menu, attire and music. Whether you’re getting married in a foreign country or not, you may want to include cultural traditions in your wedding.  These traditions can come from your family, the groom’s family, or just pick a tradition you like and make it your “something borrowed.”

I love the idea of having music represent a family’s heritage/culture.  From klezmer bands during the cocktail hour to bagpipes at the ceremony, there are a myriad of options available.

At a Scotland Tourism event I attended last month I had the privilege of trying two Scottish cocktails – which I’ll write about tomorrow – and also hearing an amazing Scottish band: Red Hot Chilli Pipers.  That’s right bagpipers. 

While traditional bagpipers in kilts are not an unfamiliar site at Scottish weddings in the US, this new take on a familiar cultural tradition will definitely add a unique element to your wedding. 

And no, I’m not suggesting that you only have bagpipers for your reception music.  Research local bands in your area and hire a cultural band for your cocktail hour or for part of your reception.  Unfortunately, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers are based in Scotland, but maybe you could email them and ask them if they can recommend a band with a similar sound in the States.  Please let us know if you know of a great cultural band, I'm sure other brides would be interested in the information.

Whenever I go to a wedding I go as both a guest and a weddings editor.  It’s hard not to look at everything and think how I can turn the details of this particular wedding into a blog post.  And that’s where this post came from - the wedding I went to in California last October.

Dave and I got there a little early to take some photos with friends, and some how we ended up in the room the bridal party was getting ready/hanging out in.  It was a rather large room with couches and tables and chairs, and scattered throughout were bottles of beer and water, as well as bags of pretzels and chips.

I don’t know if the bride and groom, the location or the members of the bridal party brought in the drinks and snacks.  The point is that it’s a great idea to have both snacks and drinks for your bridal party because they will be waiting around all day, helping you get ready, taking pictures, setting up the favors, etc.

I came across a company that specializes in creating food baskets just for this purpose and wanted to share their information with you.  It’ll save you time and energy by just ordering what you want instead of having to add “buy food and snacks” to your wedding checklist.

 

Marrylicious creates gourmet gift baskets specifically for wedding parties.  They have three packages – Tulip, Rose and Orchid – and each comes with a selection of gourmet treats as well as a wedding day emergency kit.  You can also create a custom package if you want to have a themed basket or need to fit certain dietary restrictions.  Prices start at $100.  The company is based in Seattle but ships nationwide. 

And brides, remember to drink clear liquids (water, seltzer, vodka) through a straw so you don’t spill anything on your dress or smudge your lipstick before you walk down the aisle.