Weddings by Joycelyn

So I've been a bridesmaid a few times (and I'm sure it's not over yet).  As a bridesmaid here are a few tips that will help you keep your sanity (and keep the bride happy)

• To avoid the bride's wrath, you MUST attend all showers (unless you have a major league good excuse).

• When the bride tells you the dress she picked out for you is something you'll "totally love" and "definitely wear again," the correct response is, "You're so right!"

• Limit your champagne intake to avoid embarrassing scenes you may regret later.

• Mentioning the bride's former boyfriends or wild-child days during a toast is NOT okay.

• Don't try any new hair do or beauty treatment for the first time on the day of the wedding.

• No matter what's going on in your life, leave your drama at the door of the church.  Your friend's wedding day is not about you.

• The wedding day is not the time to mention how annoying your find the groom.

• If the bride's leg itches, it's your duty to climb under her dress and scratch it for her.

• Throwing elbows while trying to catch the bouquet makes you look desperate.

Most importantly relax and enjoy yourself... bond with your friends... these are the memories that she will cherish the most!

The complete phrase is:

Something old, something new

Something borrowed, something blue

And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy.

"Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past. "Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. "Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.

As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true."

And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.

Love them or not, nearly every married person interacts with his or her in-laws on a regular basis.  In-laws have the potential to destroy a good relationship if we let them.  They also have the ability to be a source of joy and even save marriages when the road gets rocky, if we seek their advice.  How we deal with extended families is a core element in our relationship.  Here are some tips on dealing with in-laws.

• When you are first married, do not live with in-laws. 
• If you spend more time each week talking with parents (including phone calls) than you do with your spouse, then something needs tweaking.
• If you and your mate argue or fight, resist the temptation to run home to your parents.  You need to learn to solve your problems, and running away prolongs the problem.  Telling parents about all your marital problems makes it difficult for them to support your marriage.
• Show kindness to your in-laws, even if they are unkind to you.  Turning the other cheek will earn you respect from your mate and your in-laws (Matthew 5:39).
• You do not have to visit them every time your spouse does.
• Do not let your parents or in-laws pressure you into "having grandchildren for them."  If and when you have children is not their business.
• Come up with a good game plan for holidays.

One final bit of advice for you and your in-laws: Love them, like them, tolerate them, or simply respect them.  There is no room in a blissful relationship for hate.

2009 Wedding Industry Spending Numbers

The wedding cost numbers for 2009 are in and they look close to expected. Couples spent $19,581 in 2009 compared to $21,814 in 2008, a 10.2% decline.

The wedding industry market value in 2009 was $56.8 billion, a decline of 7.4% from $61.4 in 2008.

The average number of guests in 2009 was 128, a decline of 11.7% from 145 in 2008.

Jewelry, gifts, and invitations lead the way for spending decline as couples spent 50.8% less on anklets, 44.1% less on gifts for their parents, and 36.4% less on reception menus.

Musician/s, Soloist, or Ensemble, Photographer, and wedding dress top the list of spending increases as couples spent 23.3% more on Musician/s, Soloist, or Ensemble, 16% more on a wedding photographer, and 12.6% more on the wedding dress.

You're engaged!  Finally, you're en route to the day you have been dreaming of for your entire life - your wedding day.  I know you have already heard this several times, but Congratulations!  I am sure that you are on cloud nine since the proposal.  You've announced the good news to your family and friends, and now you can't wait to get started with the planning.

Weddings are a rite of passage... but they are the only major one that you can control.  That is why couples spend so much money on them and why they are so important.  Add to all this the fact that the traditional wedding planners - the bride herself, mothers, sisters, aunts and best friends - probably are working and can't spend the 80 or more hours it takes to pull all the details together.  You need help.

That is where I come in.  I'm here to help you represent yourself in the best way you have ever looked, felt, and lived.  (After all, you don't really think that the starlets in Hollywood do it without top advisors, stylists, and fashion gurus creating the glamour that you see, do you?)

My job (and my passion) is to help you tell your love story through a spectacular event that represents you and your groom in whatever way you want to share it with your guests.  You may already have ideas of what your dream day should entail (perhaps event things you have wanted since you were a little girl).

So give stress a big kiss good-bye because the only drama will be your dramatic entrance!