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Bridal Party Proposal

Four Unique Ways To Propose To Your Bridal Party

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Four Unique Ways To Propose To Your Bridal Party

Pinterest has become a hub of DIY and wedding planning. Because of this, ways to propose to your bridal party have become more creative. If you want some unique ways to ask your bridesmaids & groomsmen without breaking the bank, we’ve got you covered! Here are four unique ways to ask your bridal party to be in your wedding.

Option #1- A handwritten note on the back of a meaningful photo of you together.

It’s always nice to receive handwritten notes. Friends love reminiscing on memories by looking at old photos. When you combine those two ideas together it makes for a special keepsake. If you want to go the extra mile, purchase a clear plastic or glass frame so your friend can always see the front and back of the photo and note.

Option #2- A custom sticker put on a mini bottle of champagne or the bridal party’s drink of choice.

This is a yummy and easy option. Purchase printable stickers from any office supply store. You can design on your computer using the brand of choice app, and TADA, you have a fancy & fun bridal party proposal! If your bridal party isn’t the alcohol type, that’s fine! How about a specialty coffee drink?! Decide which drink is your bridal party’s favorite and choose that option.

Option #3- A T-Shirt Or Custom Apparel

When you are getting married there are many fun outings with your bridal party. Who doesn’t love cute or comical bridal party coordinated apparel? You could go simple with bridesmaids bride tribe shirts such as these cute ones from Liz & Kate boutique in Geneva, IL. Or some fun ones for the guys like these groom squad shirts. If you wanted to go a bit simpler, bridesmaid and groomsmen hats are easy to find at many local brick & mortar shops.

Option #4- Give them a box of their favorite sweet treat with a note on the inside of the box asking them to be in your bridal party.

This one is an easy DIY if you like baking. If not, there are many local bakeries or candy shops that make it easy to fill up a box with their favorite things. Who doesn’t like getting candy and cookies?! You can find bakery boxes at any local craft store. Check out some of your local bakeries may even help you out and box it for you.

bachelorette party

Bachelorette Party

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Technically, it’s the maid or matron of honor’s job to scout out the bachelorette party but there’s no harm in hinting! If you’re bold, sassy and sexy – and hey, you are – why not try something unique and perhaps a little risqué?

There’s a hot work out called Pole, and while the name may be tied to strip clubs, this dancing fantasy is not about taking your clothes off. Pole dancing can be more of a gymnastic art form than stripper girl. It’s a total body work out that also lets women’s inner kittens come out to play.

Dance studios such as Naperville’s Tease Dance and Fitness or Geneva’s Tiger Lily Vertical Fitness offer private parties on the weekends for bachelorette parties. You’ll be instructed in the fine art of pole dancing by a certified pole instructor. Learn how to strut around the pole and do spins like the fairy! It’s a great way to burn those calories off as well as get your sexy on! You can go barefoot or bring heels to show off those legs. The attire is usually general work out style – shorts, tank and a sports bra. Or, you can spice it up with boas, sparkly bras and bride short shorts. There’s no modesty here and no judgment!

If you’re not into dancing around a pole, they also offer “strip tease classes” that give you moves to make your man melt! Again, no clothes come off, and the sultry, sensual moves are taught by professional, certified instructors.

Call each studio for more information on pricing but most studios are reasonable. It’s a lot of fun and a safe, woman empowering environment. Check with the studio about how many girls are able to fit on one dance room. They have candles, large mirrors and teach you stretching before warming up the poles.

Go give it a chance or if you’re the one planning it, give your bride a night they won’t forget!

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

Will You be my Bridesmaid?

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Will You be my Bridesmaid?

Your wedding day marks a milestone in your lifetime. Why not surround your nearest and dearest friends and family to help celebrate and support you through this new journey in life? With so many options for wedding planning (e.g. invites), it’s equally as impressive to have a “cool” way to ask your maids to stand up in your wedding. The following are Six Unique Ways to ask your girls to be a bridesmaid / maid of honor:

1) Create a photo Collage:  Reminiscing over old photos of the two of you is a fun way to break the ice and then ask her to be your maid.

Will You be my Bridesmaid?via Pass the Pineapple Blog

2) Create a fun craft project:  Here is a fun DIY way to invite the girls.

Will You be my Bridesmaid?via Lox Papers

3) Buy them a Keepsake:  An ornate, beautiful personalized handkerchief can be functional for the day of the wedding. But she may need it to wipe away tears of joy when you ask her!

Will You be my Bridesmaid?via Benign Objects

4) Wine Glasses or Champagne Flutes : A functional and fun way to get the party started.

Will You be my Bridesmaid?
via Etsy

5) Personalized Bridesmaid hanger to hang their gorgeous dress on:

Will You be my Bridesmaid?
6) Treat her to a Spa Day: Nothing bonds you better over some good ole fashioned girl / pamper time.

Will You be my Bridesmaid?

There is no right or wrong way to ask your future maids to stand by your side. If budget is standing in your way of creating some of the above options, you can always just ask face-to-face with no frills attached.

Warning: If you have a very large group of girlfriends narrowing down the lot may end up hurting people’s feelings. However, you should feel confident in your choices and explain to your friends that this does not reflect on your relationship. Believe me, it will happen.

Resolutions to Common Wedding Woes

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Planning a wedding can be the most magical time in your life, but it can also create the greatest conflicts. It’s common to face disagreements and disappointments during the process. Here are a few helpful resolutions for some of the most common wedding arguments:

Problem: He doesn’t care about the wedding details.

Resolution: Task your man with specific tasks related to the wedding that might be of interest to him. To get your groom involved, ask him to plan the honeymoon, help with a reception playlist, or sample food from the caterer. By delineating specific responsibilities, he’s less likely to feel overwhelmed and more likely to start helping.

Problem: You hate each other’s attendants.

Resolution: You may not agree with your fiance’s choice of best man, or he might go crazy at the thought of spending so much time with your maid of honor, but the important thing is to be supportive and understanding of each other’s decision. The wedding is a huge moment in both of your lives and it’s imperative that you surround yourself with the people that mean the most to you as individuals. If serious issues arise, talk to your partner about your concerns so they can be addressed before the wedding day.

Problem: He thinks you’re being a wedding-obsessed bridezilla.

Resolution: The truth of the matter is, if he’s accusing you of bridezilla behavior, you might just be guilty. Set aside time for the two of you where the wedding is off-limits. No conversations, no magazines, no color swatches. Make time to be together and enjoy one another’s company without the stress of the wedding hanging over your heads.

Problem: His guest list is too long and/or includes people you don’t care for.

Resolution: If the guest list is too long and you’re concerned about finances, have an honest conversation. Work together on trimming guests for both of your lists, or set a specific number of guests that you’re each allowed to invite, taking into consideration the size of your families. If there are people on the list that you wish not to be included, offer an explanation, but make sure your reasons are valid. Don’t be persuaded by old grudges or petty jealousies by the presence of an old flame or former friend.

Problem: He doesn’t agree with how the money is being spent.

Resolution: Have a budget meeting. Sit down and discuss the various expenditures associated with the wedding and how you both feel the finances would best be divided. If he wants more cash in the honeymoon fund and you’re holding out for a designer dress, figure out other areas to compromise and cut costs so you can both be happy with the outcome.

Ten Ways to Involve Loved Ones In Your Wedding

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Your wedding day is a great opportunity to celebrate and honor the men and women who mean so much to you in life. Here are ten ways to involve family, friends, and coworkers of all ages in your wedding festivities…

 

 

  1. An obvious way to involve those closest to you is by asking them to participate in your bridal party as a bridesmaid or groomsmen, with the highest honors going to the maid/matron of honor and best man.
  2. If your bridal party is getting too large, but you’d still like a dear pal to be involved, invite him or her to be an honorary bridesmaid or groomsmen, or, if he or she is between the ages of 9 and 16, a junior bridesmaid or groomsmen.
  3. Bring together the pint-sized people most special to you by inviting them to serve as ring bearers or flower girls during the ceremony.
  4. Grab a few gal or guy pals and ask them to serve as guestbook attendants, greeting guests as they arrive at the wedding or reception and ensuring that they sign the guestbook.
  5. During the wedding ceremony, select a few friends or loved ones to perform a reading of a favorite scripture, poem, or quote.
  6. Musically gifted friends can add a personal touch to your wedding day by singing or playing an instrument during the ceremony or at the reception.
  7. Choose a few upbeat friends to dole out programs to guests as they arrive at the wedding.
  8. If you’re hosting a Christian ceremony, ask a few children between the ages of 10 and 13 to light candles on the altar before the nuptials begin.
  9. Men who aren’t serving as groomsmen can fill in as ushers, welcoming guests and escorting them to their seats.
  10. Personalize your wedding ceremony even more by asking a close friend or relative to officiate the nuptials.

Wedding Planning Conflicts – Handling Touchy Subjects

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In a dream world, your wedding will be perfect, flawless, and free of conflict or drama. In the real world, issues and confrontation are bound to happen. As much as you love them, your friends and family might be the cause of some of these disputes. Nip conflict in the bud with these helpful tips.

How to deal with…

A friend who is determined to be a bridesmaid: Choosing your maid of honor and bridesmaids is a challenging task, often made more difficult by friends or relatives who have false hopes of being asked. You should never include someone in the bridal party because you feel guilty or bullied into it. If you have a woman in your life with her heart set on being a bridesmaid, kindly explain to her why she didn’t make the cut. Maybe you’ve decided to only include relatives or you want a small bridal party. If it’s possible, find another role for her to fill in the wedding party, like a program attendant, honorary bridesmaid, or scripture reader, so she feels included in the festivities.

An overbearing mom or mother-in-law: The wedding day is a special moment for the parents of the bride and groom so keep that in mind when dealing with your mom and mother-in-law. With that said, if you feel like they’re encroaching on your territory or being way too controlling, have an honest heart-to-heart about your feelings. Be polite, but direct, gracious, but honest. Keep them involved by finding specific tasks where you could really use their help or input.

Parents who want to invite too many guests: It’s easy for the guest list to balloon to epic proportions but it’s imperative that you keep the invitees to a reasonable amount. The easiest way to deal with parents or in-laws who are being pushy or demanding about guests is to be firm. When you start planning your wedding, determine exactly how many guests each family will be allowed to invite (preferably an equal number on both sides) and make them stick to it. If a parent is absolutely unwilling to budge on their invitees, explain the added cost and expense to them for each additional person who attends the wedding. If it’s that important to them, they may want to foot the bill for the extra cost.

Unhelpful bridesmaids: It’s important you remember that your bridesmaids are, first and foremost, your friends. They’re not hired help or indentured servants. With that said, there’s a certain amount of responsibility that comes with the title. If you feel like your bridal party is being unhelpful, uninterested, or uncaring, address the issue. Instead of demanding their assistance, let them know how stressed you are and how much you could really use their help. That alone should be enough to get your friends to rally in your time of need.

Misbehaving flower girls/ring bearers: Having young children in your bridal party adds fun and charm to your wedding festivities, but kids are kids and their behavior can be unexpected. Even the most well-behaving children can resort to tantrums, waterworks, or stage fright when shoved into a fancy outfit and put on display for a crowd of hundreds. You should always keep that in mind before asking a child to be a part of your day. With that said, if you’ve chosen pint-sized attendants, the wedding has arrived, and their behavior is out of control, have a chat with their parents. Find out if there’s an easy way to get the child to cooperate. If not, consider asking a parent or trusted adult to walk the children down the aisle, or skip the procession altogether and simply include them in the pictures. It’s also a great idea to have parents seated up close so that, assuming their children do make it down the aisle, they’re not expected to stand for the duration of the ceremony. Keeping Kids Entertained At Your Wedding

Inappropriate bachelor/ette party plans: One of the many responsibilities of the bridesmaids and groomsmen (and the one they’re probably looking forward to the most) is planning the bachelor and bachelorette parties. These can be as wild and crazy or laid-back and low-key as they prefer, but the important thing is that everyone is on the same page. If you or your husband-to-be are hoping for a calm, classy affair but you’re nervous that your pals have a stripper on speed-dial, the best way to avoid an awkward or upsetting evening is to have an open discussion ahead of time. While it’s not your place to plan your bachelor/ette party by yourself, it’s completely reasonable for you to share your expectations with your friends. While they get to be the ones to plan it, ultimately the party is supposed to be about you, so you should never have to take part in something that makes you feel uncomfortable, unhappy, or overly embarrassed (although some amount of embarrassment is to be expected).

How to Be a Great Maid of Honor

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Being a friend’s Maid of Honor is both flattering and intimidating. On one hand, the bride wants you standing next to her on the biggest day of her life. On the other, you may be nervous about your duties and skills as her #2 in command. Don’t tie yourself up in tulle knots; review the tips below and rise to the occasion.

Be the go-to girl. Mean it when you say, “I’m here for whatever you need.” The wedding planning process is chaotic in the final weeks, so make sure the bride and groom know you are willing to take on any assignment they give you. Don’t sacrifice every moment of your day, but be empathetic to the details swirling around the bride’s head. Be as involved as you can be, and remind your friends you are there for support.

Play tough. Be a contender when it comes to supporting your friend on her wedding day. If two bridesmaids don’t get along, tell them to zip it for the sake of the bride. Tell the caterer your friend can’t discuss tipping the wait staff until after the reception. Bottom line: whatever the circumstance, respect the bride and groom’s day of happiness, and make sure others do too.

Minimize stress. A bride’s wedding marks the happiest day of her life; unfortunately, it can also be the most stressful. Help your friend to keep her cool by:

  • Offering to take care of last-minute details, like picking up her dress from the tailor or calling to confirm the cake delivery time
  • Ensuring out-of-town guests are settled and comfortable. Offer your cell phone number to those in need of directions or other info
  • Keep your eye on the clock and coordinate arrival times with the minister and Best Man.
  • Make sure the bride has enough to eat and drink before the ceremony. Low blood sugar will only worsen edgy nerves.

Make the special moments count. As Maid of Honor, you are obviously an important person in the bride’s life. Make sure she knows how much you mean to her as well. Write a toast that encapsulates your friendship and feelings for her. She will be moved by the gesture and will remember it for the rest of her life.

Bridesmaids 101

All About Bridal Showers

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As the bride, you won’t be planning your own bridal shower, but it helps to have an idea of what to expect (especially if your maid of honor is slow on the draw).

Read on for everything you need to know about bridal showers…

What Is It

Traditionally, a bridal shower is an opportunity for your close female friends and relatives to “shower” you with items you’ll need to make a new home and enter into marriage.  In fact, bridal showers are really the only wedding related event explicitly centered on gift giving.  Like many events and customs surrounding weddings, the rules for bridal showers have bended a bit.  Guest lists often include male attendants, and gifts don’t necessarily have to consist of hand towels and kitchen appliances.

When Is It

Showers typically take place a few weeks or months before the wedding but can really occur any time that’s convenient for the group to gather.  If you have a lot of long distance bridesmaids, they may choose to plan the shower and bachelorette party over the same day or weekend.

Who Hosts

Your maid- or matron-of-honor traditionally plans and hosts the bridal shower, enlisting the help and input of the other bridesmaids.  It’s typically viewed as impolite and self-serving for your close family members (mom and sis) to host the bridal shower, since it’s a gift giving event.  The etiquette around this has relaxed somewhat, however, especially if your maid-of-honor and other bridesmaids live far away and are unable to host.

Who’s Invited

The guest list includes all your bridesmaids, your mom, sister(s), and other family members, as well as your fiancé’s close female relatives.  Other friends and even co-workers may attend.  As couples showers are becoming more popular, spouses and the groom’s attendants are also joining in the fun.  Really, the only rule pertaining to the shower guest list is that everyone invited to the shower must also receive a wedding invitation.  (etiquette says: if they’re important enough to attend the shower – and bring a gift – then they’re important enough to attend the main event). Make sure to consult with your shower hostess before she sends the invites to make sure your guest lists match.

Where Is It

The style of the party will usually dictate the location, so feel free to have your maids get creative with the shower venue.  Here are some ideas:  a tea room, a garden, a park, a backyard, a friend’s house, any restaurant or function space.

What Happens – Bridal Shower Games

Since bridal showers center on gift giving, you’ll usually open your gifts surrounded by your guests.  One bridesmaid will keep track of who gave what to help you with thank-yous after the event.  Another shower custom is the mock “bouquet,” which the bridesmaids will create out of the package ribbons and bows for you to carry down the aisle at the wedding rehearsal.  Planned activities and games are a traditional shower staple, but don’t feel restricted to the typical “pin the tail on the groom” or “toilet paper wedding dress.”  You can find a list of bridal shower games here. Other requisite shower activities include – eating, laughing, and a little female bonding.

Ideas & Trends

Incorporating a theme can make planning a bridal shower easier and more fun, so if you have something in mind, feel free to consult with your maid-of-honor or bridesmaids.  Remember, the bridal shower doesn’t necessarily have to be a girly tea party.  If you’re not that type of girl, there are tons of options for themes based on your interests, whatever they may be – reading, gardening, outdoor activities, volunteerism, you name it.

source:elegala.com