Blogs

Whether conventional or irreverent, the wedding dress is a focal point of most weddings. Brides search high and low, toiling over every detail to find the perfect dress: one that is flattering, stylish, and falls within budget. The green bride is no exception, except for the fact that she does not wish to add to Mother Earth’s carbon footprint with yards of fabric (most bleached with toxic chemicals) for the dress, train, and other accessories.

Although an expanding market, searching for an eco-chic wedding dress can be challenging. Here, check out five of the most popular green wedding gowns, all available on greenbrideguide.com.

1. Organza Cotton Ball Gown

The one-shoulder ball gown with a softly dazzling feather headpiece adds subtle drama and channels Old Hollywood silver screen glamour. The Organic Cotton Ball Gown is designed with fluffy layers of organic cotton and tulle. The vintage buttons in the tulle flowers on the bodice have a quietly dazzling effect. This gown is perfect for the bride seeking a lightweight, frothy wedding dress that’s oh so much fun to wear.

Organic Cotton Ball Gown, The Green Bride Guide

2. Garden Dress

Guest blogger: Rosanna Casper, co-founder of Idojour.com, a new wedding website where brides, grooms, family and friends can purchase a stylish and affordable mix of beautifully curated pieces. Designed to make wedding planning all the more inspiring and enjoyable, Idojour offers accessories and apparel for your wedding weekend, complemented by both inspirational and practical content. Rosanna oversees content, among many other things, and makes sure that everything comes together beautifully on the site.

Here, Rosanna shows how to incorporate your dog or cat into your wedding day.

All of you pet lovers out there will agree that your little furry friend is a part of the family, and it seems only natural to want to include your pet on your special day. However, working with pets presents it's own set of challenges, from venue restrictions to their general unpredictable behavior. From must take photos to apparel and other décor ideas, here are our favorite ways to incorporate your dog or cat into your wedding day.

1. To-Die-For Apparel: 
Many will argue that dressing your animal up in cute clothes is plain wrong, but on a special occasion like your wedding, how can you resist some of these adorable accessories?

Throwing a formal wedding? Dress your dog in a doggie tuxedo! For a more casual affair, have him wear a preppy bowtie. 

Who doesn't love a mermaid? Here, a few of our favorites from the runways: Peter Langner, Ines Di Santo and Kenneth Pool. This silhouette is ideal for the voluptuous bride: think Kim Kardashian, Sofia Vergara, Salma Hayak. This silhouette highlights feminine curves and is super glamorous!

When selecting a mermaid, you want to make sure the the flare of the skirt is wider than than the bodice; this gives the illusion of making your torso appear smaller.

See more of our favorite mermaid gowns!

—Naima DiFranco

Guest blogger: Emma Arendoski, founder and CEO of Emmaline Bride, The Wedding Guide for the Handmade Bride, a website dedicated to all things handmade for weddings. Launched in 2009, the site has grown into the leading online voice for handmade weddings. Emma's mission is to empower her readers to support handmade through the use of handcrafted wedding items for all parts of the wedding planning process.

Here, she shares an excerpt from her first book, The Handcrafted Wedding: More Than 300 Fun and Imaginative Handcrafted Ways to Personalize Your Wedding Day (Sellers Publishing, October 2012).

Photo Credit: © 2012 Eric Boneske Photography

With thoughtfully planned details and fun activities for guests, your wedding celebration will be the party to end all parties, one they’ll remember long after the last song is played.

Each week, we feature wedding music recommendations from Scratch Weddings, the nation's leader with the best wedding DJs at affordable prices. This week's post comes from DJ Bounce made his debut on the turntables in late 2000 and hasn't looked back. His raw talent and dedication to the craft, has made him the most sought after DJ for couples in the Washington DC area. DJ Bounce gives the extra effort to weddings and couples. "The fun part is the good vibe I get from everybody. In order for that to happen, I try to be the couple's and the people's DJ by delivering good music, good mixing, lots of dancing and good vibes. Everybody wins."
Photo Credit: Julie Pepin

This weekend, our fashion editor will be reporting live from the bridal runway shows in Chicago! Follow us on Instagram or Twitter for up-to-the-minute trend updates and tons of exclusive photos. 

Catch up now on our hottest features this week:

Our real bride blogger Lisa is brainstorming how to light up her wedding reception. Check out her awe-inspiring ideas here!

From your ceremony processional to the very last dance, find tons of song recommendations for your wedding.

Not a fan of traditional engagement photos? Then you're going to love these themed shoots filled with imagination.

Q. I think receiving lines are outdated and take up too much time. It is necessary that we have one? I’m worried that our schedule will be delayed by having to greet each of our 175 guests after the ceremony. Any suggestions? 

A. Although a receiving line is not necessary, taking time on your wedding day to greet all of your guests is. If you choose to forgo a line altogether, then be sure to take some time during the reception to visit each table and thank your guests for helping you to celebrate your marriage. They’ll want to congratulate you, and they will greatly appreciate your consideration. 

Photo Credit: Rebekah J. Murray Photography

If you do decide to have a receiving line, there are several things you can do to keep things moving. Consider having a smaller receiving line after the ceremony: The traditional line, which includes parents and attendants, can be shortened to just the two of you and your parents. If you keep your conversations pleasant but brief, the line should move quickly.

If you’re like me, you may be tempted to put this lovely green vine on a wall. But trust me, the bendy silicone form functions best as it’s meant to be used. The so-called roasting laurel elevates poultry and roasts to grease-reduced, healthier states of being.Plus, it can steam fish and corral veggies into submission. It makes a sturdy trivet, too. Bonus: It’s really fun to use (Prepara Roasting Laurel, $24.99, prepara.com). 

—Mary Clarke

With Chicago Bridal Market opening this weekend, where designers present all their new bridal designs, I thought I would look back at the most outrageous and fashion-forward looks of last season. What do you think of Vera Wang's collection of red bridal gowns? Oscar de La Renta's magnificent tulle cape and Carolina Herrera's bridal pant suit? Would you wear these looks on your wedding day? What trend do you hope to see this upcoming season at market?

For up-to-the-minute updates from the runway shows this weekend, be sure to follow us on Instagram or Twitter!

—Naima DiFranco

I love looking through real wedding photos of couples that incorporated handmade touches into their big day. Although it’s difficult for me to complete a lot of these DIY projects while I’m still in graduate school, I’d like to make as much as I can to add that special touch.

One trend I’ve been obsessed with lately is paper flowers. They’re usually pretty easy to make, and you can do them months in advance—without worrying about wilting! Plus, they’re budget-friendly and will last forever. This step-by-step paper flowers tutorial shows you how easy it is to spruce up your space. I also found these photos to serve as inspiration.

1. Multi-colored bouquet.  I'm not having a ceremony since I'm throwing a second wedding reception, so a bouquet hasn’t been a top priority for me. However, I would still like to do a traditional bouquet toss during the celebration. I love how this ornate one ties in beautiful autumnal colors, and even incorporates buttons.