Category Archives: Bridesmaids

Tropical Beach Bachelorette Inspiration

So I don’t know how things are where you live, but I’m about done with this freezing, snow-filled insanity. Winter, please stop. Naturally, I’ve has been longing for warm-weather things—sunshine on the sand, citrusy cocktails and a refreshing dip in a crystal clear pool. For a little escape therapy, I’m bringing you a tropical beach bachelorette party inspiration board. I’m digging the retro bikinis from this poolside party and had to share my favorite new summer decor idea: faux presents floating in a pool! A pair of neon shades, a travel-size bottle of sunscreen and a mini-bottle of booze in a kraft box with neon trim is the perfect start to creating your own party welcome boxes. For refreshing treats, try these raspberry and lime sangria popsicles (yep, they have alcohol, folks!) or a classic paloma—a grapefruit, lime and tequila cup of sunshine. For more tropical beach party ideas, check out our Pinterest board.

Tropical Beach Bachelorette Inspiration BoardImage credits: Poolside bachelorette, paloma cocktail, presents in the pool, bachelorette welcome box, beach umbrella pose, raspberry lime popsicles, heart sunnies, palm tree love.

The Cake Pull Tradition

What is a cake pull? The cake pull is a Southern tradition, most popular in Louisiana, that could be an excellent alternative to the bouquet toss (which I personally loathe) or a way to share a special moment with your bridesmaids at the wedding. Since I’ve never personally participated in a cake pull, I went to my cousin Dawn, a Louisianan and veteran cake puller (she’s been in 9) for information on this Southern tradition. “What I love about the cake pull is that it is a way to include more female friends without having 20 girls in your wedding party,” she says. “As I get older, participating in one more ‘single girls’ activity at weddings can be slightly awkward, but this is much less humiliating than the bouquet toss. I plan to include one at my wedding!” Here’s a breakdown on what a cake pull is and how to incorporate one at your wedding or bridal shower.

What is a cake pull? Find out how to incorporate this Southern tradition into your wedding.

The Cake Pull Tradition
There seem to be a few variations on the tradition. In one, unmarried female friends are invited to participate and in the other only the bridesmaids partake. In either version, a set of charms is placed under a layer of the cake and each girl pulls one, though in the bridesmaid version the “next to be married” charm must be removed if one or more of your maids is already hitched. While the cake pull most often takes place at the wedding reception, some will argue it should actually be done at the bridesmaid luncheon or even at the shower.

How To Do It Yourself
Ok, let’s talk logistics. The cake pulls are typically given to the baker the week of the wedding and then placed when assembling the cake at the reception site. Dawn has placed them herself when organizing a pull for a friend, and advises you to have extra icing on hand to pipe around the base of the cake once the pulls are placed. A ribbon is tied to each charm (or if you want to get creative, you can attach them to charm bracelets). You can find a vendors on Etsy selling cake pulls, but you can also make your own by picking up charms and ribbon at a local craft store.

Common Charms and Their Meanings
Each charm has a different meaning and tells you something about what’s to come in your life. Common charms might include a camera or the Eiffel tower (a life of travel), a flip-flop (a life full of relaxing fun), a cross (a life full of faith), a heart (a life full of love), a ring (the next to be married) and a pacifier or baby carriage (the next to have a baby). There are even Louisiana-themed cake pulls, like a crawfish for a life of good fortune or a Mardi Gras mask for the life of the party. The bride can select which charms she wants to incorporate, or even assign special meaning to personal charms. You could attach a folded card to the end of the pull with a quote to reveal the meaning of the charm—just make sure no one peeks before the pull!

Image courtesy of Katie H Photography.

Preview BHLDN Spring 2014 Bridesmaid Collection

Today I’m excited to bring you a sneak peek at some of my favorite styles from BHLDN’s spring bridesmaid collection—select styles are available now and the entire collection debuts online Tuesday, Jan. 21. I want to start off with a few dresses that are listed as bride styles for the reception or pre-wedding events. However, the trend of bridesmaids wearing white or neutrals is so popular that I see no reason why these gorgeous frocks wouldn’t work for the maids as well! Plus, they are some of my favorites of the bunch, with lots of special details and unexpected touches. 

I think my two favorite little white dresses may have been named in my honor: Willa, after my boyfriend’s adorable baby niece, and Brooklyn, after my home borough! I love the Brooklyn’s flattering deep V-neckline, floaty pleated tulle and sweet little bow at the waist. The Willa has a similar pattern to one of my current favorites (which I almost bought at the New York pop-up shop for no other reason than that it’s gorgeous—sure, I need white lacy dresses in my day to day!). The new version has more of a sheath silhouette and a scoop neck, with an interesting zigzag hemline. 

The Ariel continues the illusion neckline trend, but with an interesting one-shoulder take and a flattering empire waist. I also adore the colors available for this dress—in addition to the dusty mauve shown here, it will also be available in a light rose, a powder blue (see right), a deep sapphire (see below), a vibrant merlot and my all-time favorite color—ivy green! The Sydney just feels so classic to me and perfect for a breezy spring wedding. The flutter sleeves and drapey wrap skirt will give this dress movement as well as flatter a wide range of figures.The Ainsley bridges the styles above, with an illusion V-neck, a flowy chiffon skirt and a pretty little sash at the waist. I also had to share my favorite new accessory: these monogram-inspired hangers would make a gorgeous photo op on wedding day.

A Handmade Pastel Farm Wedding in British Columbia

So, this is a bridesmaid blog. I get that. But nonetheless, I often receive wedding submissions. And for a long time I’ve told myself that if I ever stumbled on a wedding with a sweet bridesmaid story, I’d share it with you. Well folks, that day has come. What could be sweeter than a bridal party filled out by the bride and groom’s younger brothers and sisters (plus their BFFs, of course)? Bethany and Joel chose to hold their casual, rustic ceremony on the grounds of Providence Farm, not too far from their hometown of Victoria, British Columbia. The pure fun of the day shines through in the pictures from Christa Nicole Photography, from the cheeky bridal party portraits to the groomsmen’s matching argyle socks to the bouncy castle at the reception (they even rented bloomers so the ladies could bounce worry-free!). Bethany and Joel really put their personal touch on every aspect of the ceremony. Bethany made the bouquets herself, using dahlias listed on Craigslist by a local farm and eucalyptus from her own garden. She also made the groomsmen’s boutonnieres, repurposing coffee sacks that groom Joel brought home from his job as a coffee roaster. The couple even wrote their own wedding ceremony—that’s right, not just the vows, the whole shebang! The cake cutting was performed with a sword, a family tradition in the making: Bethany’s father received the sword as a member of the Governor General’s Horse Guards in 1982 and used it to cut the cake in his wedding to Bethany’s stepmother in 1999. I love how all the handmade details highlight the couple’s sense of humor, spirit of fun and obvious love for their families—and each other. 

From the bride: 
“Our wedding party consisted of our siblings and very bestest friends. By some miracle, both my husband and I have the same number of siblings, but of opposite genders! So, I had my two sisters, Joel’s sister, and my best friend (since we were 15!) stand up for me, while Joel had his two brothers, my brother and his best friend stand up for him.

My bridesmaids were great. When it came to decided what to wear, originally we were going for the mismatched theme. But, the girls were having such a difficult time finding affordable coordinating dresses (that didn’t scream ‘bridesmaid’), that we were giving up hope until we spied this dress from Modcloth. At $60, how could you go wrong? Plus, they had that sweet, sundress-vintage flair that felt so right.

My favourite detail of the day would either have to be the ceremony (we wrote it ourselves, and our bridal party was a big part of it!) or the dancing once everything was dark. Oh, and obviously our bouncy castle…how could that not be a favourite detail?! We rented bloomers so ladies could bounce worry free. Also, as almost 80 people stayed overnight, we hosted a breakfast the next day and it was great to get to hang out with everyone after our night of fun. Oh, and one more—my husband is a coffee roaster, so I made the boutonnieres and bunting from used coffee sacks, and all the guests got to enjoy freshly made lattes and Americanos at breakfast!”

Photography: Christa Nicole Photography | Venue: Providence Farm | Bridesmaid dresses: Modcloth | Bridal gown: Blush Bridal | Bride’s and bridesmaids’ hair: Lab Salons | Reception dress: H&M | Suits: Indochino | Cake: Nicki Reich, a friend of the couple | Rings: Rare Earth| Florals, boutonnieres: the bride

Resources for the Best Man and Groomsmen

Best Man and Groomsmen Duties

This one’s for the gentlemen. I recently received an email from a new bridesmaid whose boyfriend is going to be the best man in the same wedding. She was on the lookout for a few sites to help him navigate his groomsman duties, and I had to sympathize with her struggle. There are tons of wedding websites out there, but they’re pretty focused on us ladies. But groomsmen have just as many responsibilities as bridesmaids—they have to write funny speeches, plan wild parties and stay sober enough before the wedding to withstand a paparazzi session and keep track of one really expensive piece of jewelry. So, I present a roundup of my favorite resources for the best man and groomsmen.

The Alpha Groom

Alpha Groom
The Alpha Groom website (and app!) has lots of great articles and tips for grooms and groomsmen alike. Grooms will find help with planning the proposal or writing wedding vows and best men/groomsmen can find ideas for planning a bachelor party and a breakdown of their wedding day duties. This about sums up their spot-on take on what it means to be a best man: “It is your job as the best man to have the groom’s back like he had yours in the dim, laser light clubs or the side-of-the-road watering holes you stalked as a pair of single hunters. You are the best man because your buddy trusts you to have his back at his time of greatest need and most worry—his wedding day.”

A Gentleman’s Guide to Best-Man Hood
This article from Slate’s Gentleman Scholar Troy Patterson could be considered the one-stop shop for how to be the bestest best man. The writer sums up the spirit with which one should approach best manning thusly: “If the wedding is at a vineyard, and if in the vineyard there are snakes, then you will drive out the snakes as discreetly as possible. Flirt with the mother of the bride and any other mother who wants to be flirted with. Build a rapport with the wedding planner. And always and forever OBEY THE BRIDE.”

Staggered

Staggered
This UK site specializes in helping you plan and book the stag do—they even have a toll-free number for instant advice! They also have plenty of articles to cover the rest of the groomsman experience. One of my favorites? This compilation of several thousand wedding jokes to incorporate in your best man speech.

The Art of Manliness

The Art of Manliness
While The Art of Manliness can school you in everything from how to shave to how to “stop just hanging out with women and start dating them,” it also has a few great articles on the art of being a groomsman. I particularly like their take on the bachelor party, in which they advise men to ditch the strippers and revive the tradition of toasting the groom while also doing something he’ll enjoy…though they do recommend that it not be “anything insanely dangerous” (definition of “insanely dangerous” at your discretion).

Well Groomed
Well Groomed
A wedding website devoted to groom (and groomsman) style, this resource is the man’s guide to tying the (windsor) knot. It’s packed with a really creative mix of features, from real weddings and style inspiration boards to gift guides and fashion tutorials. If you need to know how to mix and match your groomsmen’s attire or where to find manly gifts that don’t suck, this is your destination.

Ultimate Bridesmaid Census 2013: Duties You Love and Hate (Part 3)

The Best and Worst Parts of Being a Bridesmaid

In the final installment of results from our 2013 Bridesmaid Census, we’re looking at the things you love and hate about being a bridesmaid. I was especially interested in your responses to your least favorite duties and traditions since it’s not something we’re really supposed to talk about openly while we’re in active bridesmaid service. No one wants to be that bridesmaid—the one who complains about the dress or bickers with the other maids. But first, let’s look at what you love about bring a bridesmaid.

Your top answer blew all the others out of the running. 83% of you listed getting to be a part of your friend’s special day as the top perk of being a bridesmaid. After that, you seem to most look forward to events on the wedding day. You like getting ready with the bride and partying it up at the reception. The one response I found a little surprising? 28% of you enjoy helping the bride with wedding planning!

The free response section was seriously the best because it allowed you to tell me how your really feel. A top response for favorite bridesmaid trend or tradition was mismatched dresses or getting to choose your own dress. It’s easy to understand why—we all want to look good and getting to choose a dress that’s right for our body type helps with that equation. We also got multiple write-in votes for the cake pull, an old Southern tradition that seems to be making a comeback. And a lot of people mentioned how special it is to get to share the morning of the wedding with the bride. I personally couldn’t agree more. Getting ready together is your chance to have personal time with your friend on her big day. Once the wedding starts, she’s going to be focused on her groom and the swarms of guests. But prep time is just us girls, and it’s the best.

Ok, now let’s get to the juicy stuff. Your biggest complaint isn’t a huge surprise: It’s the cost. Plenty of ink has been spilled on how expensive it can be to be a bridesmaid—the dress, the parties, the gifts, the travel…it can add up fast. Plus, it’s very common for women to find themselves in multiple weddings a year. You’re likely to have at least one of these years in your life, when the planets converge and you find yourself in five weddings. The first bachelorette splurge doesn’t hurt nearly as much as the fifth. The same can be said for time commitment, which was the ranked third with 25%.

Your second least favorite part of being a bridesmaid makes me a little sad though—27% listed dealing with the other bridesmaids as a source of stress. This is really something we should strive to fix! It’s true that weddings can force you to spend time with girls who you’ve never met (since they met the bride in different times of her life) or who you’ve never gotten along with (you’ll never understood why the bride likes that one girl). But being a good bridesmaid means getting along with the other maids. Don’t stress out the bride by adding drama to her day with bridesmaid infighting.

Again, you have to love the free response to your least favorite bridesmaid trend or tradition. My all-time favorite response was a mini-rant on penis-shaped paraphernalia (thank you, I agree). Many people listed expensive and/or matching bridesmaid dresses as a trend they’d like to see disappear. But it wasn’t all rants and storm clouds. When asked what tradition you hated, lots of people said they wouldn’t change a thing!

Ultimate Bridesmaid Census 2013: The Bachelorette (Part 2)

Bachelorette Statistics via Ultimate Bridesmaid Census 2013

What I learned and/or found surprising: Your top bachelorette destinations weren’t that surprising, but “other” was actually your top answer for where you’d been—40% chose it. This made for some really interesting write-in answers and I learned that many of you stay local for the bachelorette or journey to small beach or mountain destinations. In a terrible oversight, I left out New Orleans from the multiple choice answers, but enough of you wrote it in to show me my grave error.

My most exciting (and validating) discovery was something I’ve been hoping was true—you aren’t into strippers or penis-shaped paraphernalia! Only 3% would want a stripper at their bachelorette party and only 12% said they want “the traditional bachelorette,” complete with sash, tiara and necklaces sporting light-up man parts. I’ve always felt that these cheap party goods are kind-of weird and I certainly wouldn’t want them at my own bachelorette. Still, 67% want the kind of evening we associate with this party—dancing, drinks, girlfriends out on the town—just minus the juvenile plastic props. A very close second in the type of bachelorette you’d like was a relaxing beach weekend (with 59% choosing it in their top 3 options) and I’m guessing that a lot of people pair the two: beach in the morning, bar in the evening.

9% said that they wouldn’t be having a bachelorette and 23% want a nontraditional bachelorette—something that really appeals to their interests and reflects their own personality. There seem to be a small segment of girls who really love the bachelorette; it did get a good number of mentions in the final free-answer section on your favorite bridesmaid tradition. And it’s definitely more popular that the bridal shower. In our multiple choice section on your favorite part of being a bridesmaid, the top five answers related to the wedding day or wedding planning, while the bachelorette hit at #6. The bridal shower, on the other hand, took last place, even losing out to giving the maid of honor toast. A total breakdown on your favorite (and least favorite) bridesmaid duties comes later this week.

For more info from our bridesmaid survey, check out our infographic on maid stats and bridal showers. Your favorite part of being a bridesmaid (and the parts you really, really hate) to come soon!