Plaid Bridesmaid Dresses???

Now, that's just mean. Don't put your friends in this or this. Puh-lease. I love Alfred Angelo the other 99.9% of the time, but their Style Director has lost her mind on this one. Sorry, but someone had to say it.

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important DATE!

Working Title: Why you need a timeline - but the other one is more catchy.

So lately I've been spending time preparing for my friend Caroline's wedding in February. We grew up together in PA, and now she lives in TN with her fiance and will be married there in about 60 days (Wooohooo!!!). This past weekend we attended Caroline's first bridal fitting and her dress fit like a glove!! Only small changes need to be made on the hem and straps and it will be good to go! We have a second fitting lined up in a month to double check things. (We also got to see the bridesmaids dresses on her friend Tracey and they look stunning as well). Following Caroline's fitting we had a big meeting (with wine of course) to hash out her timeline details, check her photo list and generally talk shop about her BIG day.

draft of timeline from our meeting

The bulk of our time was spent on her timeline, which begins at 6:45am on a Saturday and ends at 12:45am late that night. (Can a girl get a '5 hour energy' please?) In my opinion, one of the most important things to think about as you plan your wedding is the timing of the day. Especially if multiple locations and a large bridal party is involved the coordination of it all can get really complicated. Main components to consider include: locations of all events and getting ready areas (including salons and hotels), number of people involved, means of transportation, travel time from location to location, items (flowers, lighting, etc) needing to be moved or set up if any, and the order of special things happening at the reception (intros, toasts, 1st dance, cake cutting, garter/bouquet tosses, grand exit, etc.) And then there are the question to be answered: Where will the flowers be dropped off and when? When should the photographers come and where to? When will you eat? What if there is traffic? What if the limo doesn't show? What's plan B? Are there any last minute VIPs (close family or bridal party members) arriving the day of? Will they need to be picked up from the airport for example?

Ooof. And the list goes on. So if you don't have a timeline for your day, it may be a good idea to start one. Basics include when you need to arrive and leave each location, include any appointments (hair/makeup/nails) and the order of things at the reception. Some are simpler than others, of course! But I don't think you can be over prepared! Closing thought: Build in extra time. You will run a little behind at some point, and that's ok. You can't have a wedding without the Bride -- or Groom, so don't worry, all will wait for you, but you don't want your guests to get too drunk while they wait for your grand entrance ;).

Artist Spotlight: Aressa, Etsy

I became obsessed with these wire hangers after seeing them featured over and over by another wedding photographer who I love. After about the 10th one I saw, I asked if he knew where the Brides were getting them and he said Etsy. Lo and behold, after some easy searching I found Aressa. I quickly ordered 2 hangers for 2 friends who are getting married this winter 2011 and next spring 2012. Here are the two pics of them. I had this blue one made in the exact shade of my Bridesmaid dress for my friend Sarah's wedding in 2012. She was very excited when she opened it. I can't wait to see her gorgeous dress hanging from it!!

For Sarah

And the black one is for my friend Caroline. I mailed it to her in TN a few weeks ago, and got to experience her excitement via FB. I can't wait for this wedding day (it's so soon)!! Only 72 more days :D

For Caroline

These hangers make great Bachelorette or Shower gifts. They are VERY affordable - ranging from $20 to $25 each. The creator can make them in various colors and finishes. Ordering was easy and delivery was fast (considering they are handmade)!

7th Bridesmaid dress

Lucky #7? Could be. I ordered this dress today. It's different than all my other BM dresses for a few reasons: 1) it's one shoulder, which is cool 2) it's 3 different colors - mostly brown, don't have one of those yet and 3) I don't think I have shoes to match it. And I have lots of shoes. So now I'm on Zappos.com - dangerous.

Photographer Spotlight: AEve Photo

I know I bragged about her a few weeks ago, but here is another plug for my sister's awesome photography skills. If you are getting married in the future, you NEED to look at her stuff. Here are some of her pics from my cousin Katie's wedding. Katie and Peter had a beautiful October wedding in NJ at a winery and had some really cute kids involved in their special day.  Allison captured the joy and love of the day beautifully.