Instead of a traditional floral bouquet, bride Victoria Garcia decided to let her bouquet reflect her greatest literary love — Harry Potter.
"While a wedding is all about the couple and two people coming together, I wanted to carry something that stood for me and me alone," she told HuffPost Weddings. "My husband Rey knows and accepts my love of Harry Potter! He thought that my idea [was] awesome."
Welcome to our second installment of "Ask the Experts," where our contributor team of wedding planners solves readers' most pressing wedding-planning dilemmas! This week, Regina Cialone from Cloud Nove Events and Amber Moltimore from Liz & Lex Events weigh in on a less-than-ideal in-laws situation. Have a question that you'd like to submit? Fill out this form, and we'll do our best to respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.
Q: "My mother-in-law and sister-in-law have never accepted me. They spoke badly about me and tore me down for three years, all the way up to the wedding day. They still won't accept me even though my spouse and I are married. I am tired of the depression and having to prove that I'm a good person to them. They have never gotten to know me and they probably never will. How do I cope with my feelings of rejection, pain and a broken heart? I just want them to like me." — BG reader Corinne
Photo Credit: Serendipity Corner Photography on Polka-Dot Bride via Lover.ly
Regina Answers:
If you’re looking for a unique way to commemorate your bridal gown, consider a beautiful, high fashion illustration of the gown that you can display in your home or office. Sapphire Shiohwan of sapphireIllustration.com specializes in creating sketches of bridal and special occasion dresses (anniversaries, quinceañeras) — even your bridal shoes if you prefer! Just send Sapphire a photo of you in your gown (along with a brief description of the dress), and she will create an 11” x 14” pencil sketch ($70).
Welcome to our first installment of "Ask the Experts," where our contributor team of wedding planners solves readers' most pressing wedding-planning dilemmas! This week, Danielle Bobish from Curtain Up Events and Diane Kolanović-Šolaja from Dee Kay Events weigh in on how to find chic bridesmaid dresses. Do you have a question that you'd like to submit?
While most bachelorette parties happen during the spring and summer, the fall offers a ton of unique activity opportunities. With great weather, gorgeous fall foliage, and one of the most fun holidays of the year, it might just be the best season of the year for getting your bachelorette crew together!
Go Apple Picking with the Girls
Enjoy the crisp fall weather while apple picking with your besties at a nearby orchard. Pack a picnic, or look for a farm that also serves food (hot apple cider and fresh donuts always hit the spot after an afternoon of apple picking!) At night, you can use some of your fresh produce to make fall-themed cocktails for a tasty pre-game.
Photo Credit: Dana Ann Photography via Something Turquoise
Add Some Glitz & Glam to Pumpkin Carving
Pumpkins are one of the best parts of fall, so put a bachelorette party spin on decorating them. Rather than carving Jack-o’-lanterns from your childhood, opt instead for colorful paints and sparkly glitters for a fun and girly DIY project for the group. It’s the perfect afternoon activity for an artsy bride-to-be!
It has been more than six years since the Green Bride Guide book was published, and green weddings have continued to grow in popularity. Today, more than 70% of brides are including eco-friendly elements in their events, and the number of green options has multiplied accordingly. It is easier than ever to find vendors offering local and organic food, sustainable flowers, and rings crafted from ethical gemstones and recycled metals. As green weddings have moved mainstream, what defines a green wedding has changed. “Green” is no longer a wedding theme but an approach to planning — and we are seeing green weddings in every style and color.
That said, like with weddings in general, there are always a number of eco-specific wedding trends, and next year’s are going to be particularly lovely.
In 2015, the earthy bride will shine with casual elegance. Boho glam style offers a fun mix of high and low décor: local wildflowers in vintage vases, vintage and upcycled rhinestone and feather hair accessories with a 1920s twist, and flowing cotton and peace silk gowns. Green brides will top this look using eco-friendly makeup to make smoky eyes and rosy cheeks.
Photo Credit: Four Letter Fashion
Photo Credit: Whitney Lee Photography
If there was such a thing as a national newlywed calendar, October would be a completely booked month. Spring and summer weddings (and their ensuing honeymoons) are wrapping up, leaving couples a brief span of time to settle into newlywed life before the holidays hit.
At the top of over 88% of newlywed couples’ to-do lists is making the switch to their married last name(s). Whether the bride opts to take her spouse’s last name, hyphenate, take two last name sans hyphen, take her maiden name as a middle name, or replace her middle name with her maiden name, there are a series of legal forms and notification letters to be completed and filed. The same is true for men taking their spouse’s names or same sex couples taking their spouse’s name or blending their last names.
Curious why October is the month of married name change? There are four key factors that influence the uptick in newlywed name change this time of year:
Taxes: During the wedding planning process and honeymoon, no one wants to think about the joy of tax season as newlyweds. But if a couple is planning to file joint taxes under their married name, the individual(s) changing their name need to file their SS-5 form to affect their name change with Social Security prior to December 31. It is also advisable to file the IRS 8822 to inform the IRS of your new name. The filing of both of these documents well in advance of filing your taxes prevents any confusion regarding your identity that could cause lengthy delays of your tax returns.
It's officially Bridal Market here in New York City! Bridal Market is like Fashion Week for wedding gowns; twice a year, all of the designers show off their new collections.
Follow our live Instagram feed as our fashion team reports live from the shows! Here's where we'll be:
Wednesday, October 8:
10:00 AM: David's Bridal
2:00 PM: Dennis Basso
3:00 PM: Victoria Kyriakides
4:00 PM: Alfred Angelo
Thursday, October 9:
10:00 AM: Truly Zac Posen
11:00 AM: Angel Sanchez
12:00 PM: Theia
12:00 PM: Etsy Weddings
1:00 PM: Nicole Miller
1:00 PM: Delphine Manivet
2:00 PM: Romona Keveza
2:00 PM: Della Giovanna
5:00 PM: Oleg Cassini
Friday, October 10:
9:00 AM: Marchesa
10:00 AM: Claire Pettibone
11:00 AM: Kelly Faetanini
12:00 PM: Ines Di Santo
1:00 PM:: Anne Barge
2:00 PM: Reem Acra
3:00 PM: Rivini
3:00 PM: Modern Trousseau
4:00 PM: Isabelle Armstrong
5:00 PM: Monique Lhuillier
7:00 PM: JLM Couture
Saturday, October 11:
8:45 AM: Watters
9:00 AM: Group 868
9:30 AM: Temperley London
10:00 AM: Maggie Sottero
11:00 AM: Vera Wang
12:00 PM: Badgley Mischka
1:00 PM: Amsale and Kenneth Pool
3:00 PM: Eve of Milady
6:30 PM: Galia Lahav
61 years after their iconic wedding, a series of 13 likely unpublished negatives from John F. and Jackie Kennedy's wedding have surfaced. Currently up for auction on RR Auction, the listing explains, "These images were originally taken by a freelance photographer who had been asked to be a ‘back-up’ photographer for the wedding, and were discovered in his darkroom after his passing." Take a look!
Gina Giaffoglione stunned her relatives and friends when she walked down the aisle on September 13, 2014, arm-in-arm with her dad, Gary. She was injured six years ago in a car crash that left her paralyzed from the waist down. When her fiancé John Springhower proposed in 2012, the Iowa native accepted, with one condition: The wedding would have to wait.
After her life-changing accident, this former gymnast continued to coach students using her upper body strength. She was determined not to let her handicap stand in the way of her dream day as well. She endured a year and a half of strenuous physical therapy sessions with her father at CHI Health Rehabilitation at Immanuel Medical Center to make her secret wish come true.
"When you can't feel anything, and you're doing something you used to do that you used to take for granted...it's a floating sensation you can't even explain. Everything just seems to feel so good at that moment," Gina tells KETV.
Watch Gina's hard work in action:
Congratulations to the happy newlyweds!
—Stefania Sainato
Featured: Charleston, South Carolina
