Japanese Crane Centerpiece Idea

We were in Japan earlier this month and spent a night at a country inn in Tamba. We had such a good time wearing kimonos, sleeping on tatami floors, and eating a traditional Japanese BBQ.

But you know me. My brain is always in wedding mode. So when I was heading to our room, I noticed these adorable Japanese crane decorations. The inn used them as window decorations, but I just loved the idea of using them as wedding centerpieces. I didn't make these (obviously), but I did put together the DIY below so you could make these Japanese crane centerpiece for your wedding.

Japanese Crane Centerpiece Idea

What You'll Need:

• Bamboo Stakes
• Pine cone (small, about 2.5 inches in length)
• White paint
• Black paint
• Red paint
• Decorative crafting wood base
• Krazy glue
• Scissors or X-Acto knife

What You'll Do:

Prepare the pine cone for crafting (we have a post about that here). Paint the front of the pine cone white. Let it dry completely. Paint the tip of the pine cone black. Let it dry completely.

Cut two 2.5 inch pieces from a bamboo stake (try and match the size of the pine cone, more or less). These will be the legs. Paint the middle inch white. Let it dry. Paint the top half inch black. Let it dry.

Cut one 2 inch piece from a bamboo stake. This will be the head and neck. Paint it completely white. Let it dry. Paint the front of it black, the top of it red, and paint black eyes on it. Crazy glue a sliver of the bamboo stake on it to make the beak.

When everything is completely dry, glue the legs onto the bottom of the pine cone. Glue the head on. Then, glue the entire Japanese crane to the wood base. You can jazz it up and paint a flower on it (like the example above) or a table number (like the example below).

This crane had wings attached, made of wood of some sort that was painted and glued on.

I absolutely loved these little decorations. These Japanese cranes would be perfect for your wedding decor. Plus, cranes represent good fortune and longevity to the Japanese, which is the perfect sentiment for your wedding.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you think of this Japanese crane centerpiece idea?

Why The Groom Shouldn't See The Bride Before The Wedding Ceremony (From the groom's point of view)

This post is written by Pete. For all his posts, check out this link.

Last week I wrote about wedding traditions. Many of them are merely a reenactment of some bizarre medieval ritual that has no relation to modern society.

While I still stand by my belief that many wedding traditions are bizarre reflections of a society that is thankfully long gone, upon reflection I must admit that there is one that I was wrong about. Let me just say, before I even get started  that I guarantee you the reason why I was wrong was not because I believed in the tradition. Back in the day (of witches, astrology, and a lack of toilets and showering), the bride and groom were not allowed to see each other before the wedding. In case you didn't read last week's post, I'll remind you why. BridalGuide.com sums it up perfectly:

The wedding symbolized a business deal between two families (romantic, huh?), and a father would have been pleased for his daughter to marry a man from a rich, land-owning family. But he also feared that if the groom met the bride before the wedding and thought she wasn't attractive, he'd call off the wedding, casting shame onto the bride and her family. Therefore, it became tradition that the bride and groom were only allowed to meet at the wedding ceremony so that the groom did not have the opportunity to change his mind. 

Yes, that's right ladies. Women were once considered to be their father's property, like a horse or a cow. If her next male owner (husband) had the chance to see her before the wedding and didn't like what he saw, he may cancel the business deal because he thought she was ugly. That's why it was believed that the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding ceremony. That's just one of the disgusting and sexist stories behind most of the wedding traditions we all take for granted. Yet many couples participate in them, just because.

Because why? Because: "That's just what people do." I don't know about you, but personally, I think that is the worst reason to do anything.

One of the first things I said to Lisa when we were planning our wedding day was, "Come on, why can't I see you before the wedding? Why can't we just hang out and get ready together? That would be so fun, like all the guys and ladies together getting ready, having cocktails, and having fun and stuff." But she didn’t see it the same way; she insisted that we not see each other until she was walking down the aisle. She got ready at home with her bridesmaids and she made me book a hotel room for the night before/morning of the wedding.

"Yo that's wack!!" I remember yelling numerous times, but it's what Lisa wanted so I respected it ... even though I thought it was wack and it made no sense to me, just like why are pizza boxes square, the pies a circle, and the slices a triangle? C'mon man, pick a shape; this ain't geometry class.

But I forgot all about it in the ensuing chaos of the wedding morning -- my buddies, all of us in the hotel room, getting ready, laughing, drinking beers, dancing, yelling -- I know it probably sounds cliche or corny, but it's like I wasn't there, like I was outside of myself watching me, while my actual "me" was in shock and disbelief, lost in the amazement of it all, stunned, confused, thinking, "This can't be happening ... I can't believe I'm getting married ... this can't be real ... I didn't think this was in the cards for me ... I'm too much of a mess to be 'marry-able' ... I can't fathom that a woman like Lisa exists ... she saved my life ... "

Suddenly I was at the front of the church, facing forward, then the music started. Everyone stood up and looked towards the rear of the church. I did the same. But as I turned, everything slowed down, I felt weightless. I looked down the aisle, all the way towards the entrance and from my left I saw the most unbelievable and breathtaking sight of my life -- LISA, accompanied by her dad (a man I told Lisa is my idol). Then I wept ... in front of everyone ... I wept and I didn't care. I was flooded with hope and for what's to come, with inspiration, with confidence, with purpose, with direction, with visions of a life I never thought was possible for me.

And that is why I was wrong about this particular marriage tradition. I think this tradition should be completely redefined and modernized to reflect a more accurate and beautiful concept: a bride's beauty concealed and then unveiled at the perfect moment, reminding the groom just how lucky he is (and always was).

Lisa's note: This photo above is our wedding twin Kay's husband Scott's reaction to seeing Kay walk down the aisle. Isn't this one of the most beautiful series of wedding photos ever? What an absolutely heartwarming reaction to see when you're walking down the aisle about to marry your best friend. To have this emotion, from both sides, right before you are about to say your "I Do's", you can't beat that. And that's why I was never a fan of the first look. You miss this, in front of your friends, family, and loved ones, moments before you are wed.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you think? Do you agree that the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding ceremony?

Wedding traditions like this are so special.
Find out why in our Why Wedding Traditions Are So Important post.

5 Bachelorette Party Ideas (That Don't Include Chippendales)

Last weekend, we went out to see The Spill Canvas, a band that has been in my top six bands of all time for the last decade, open for Motion City Soundtrack, who was on tour to celebrate the 10-year-anniversary of its breakout album, Commit This To Memory.

Last year, to celebrate my birthday, Pete and I went to see Yellowcard on a similar 10-year-anniversary tour. And not too long before that, I saw Fall Out Boy -- not on a 10-year-anniversary tour, but FOB is in my top six bands. In May, Pete and I went to see Brand New, a band that has changed my life during the last 14 years, and, if all goes well, I'll see New Found Glory in a couple months, checking off five of my top six bands (for the last decade) in a span of about a year.

The only band I haven't seen is The Starting Line, which is my absolute favorite band of all time. So much so that once upon a time, I said that I don't want a bachelorette party filled with drunk antics because I don't drink. At all. What I wanted was to see The Starting Line. I said I didn't care when, exactly, during my engagement this happened, but I wanted to go with my favorite gals to see my favorite band. That's it.

The Starting Line went on long-term hiatus in 2008, but reunites every year for an annual holiday show every December. I was engaged for two Decembers (in 2012 and 2013), so how I didn't have a bachelorette party at any of those shows is a mystery to me. But, truth be told, I didn't have a bachelorette party. It just didn't work out, despite my bridesmaids and maid of honor really wanting to make it work. But just because I didn't have one doesn't mean I don't know a thing or two about them.

If you're planning a bachelorette party, and you're looking for something other than some drinks and strippers, you're in luck. I have five non-traditional bachelorette party ideas (no Chippendales or penis pops here -- real quick, that link is not safe for work; it leads to penis pops, in case you're into those).

5 Bachelorette Party Ideas (That Don't Include Chippedales)

1. Spa Day
Planning a wedding can be stressful, really stressful. Sometimes, all a bride wants to do is sit down and forget about it for a while. What better way to do that than with a massage, a foot rub, and a pedicure. It's a great way to unwind.

The spa that we go to in town serves a really delicious tea while you're waiting. If your local spa doesn't do that, you might want to call and see if you can arrange to bring in your own calming beverages (chamomile tea, mimosas, whatever the spa will allow). When you're calling to book, be sure to let them know you are bringing in a bachelorette party. Some spas might not be so apt to the idea because they are meant to be tranquil and serene and bachelorette parties may not be.

Favor idea: Spa robes and pedicure slippers would be perfect for this outing.

2. Gambling Trip
Personally, I love gambling. It's in my blood. I wanted so badly to go to Vegas for my bachelorette party, but it was too much to ask all my bridesmaids to travel to Vegas for my party and travel to North Carolina for my wedding. I just felt so guilty over the idea of asking them that I wouldn't even have it.

If you are having a local wedding (so all your bridesmaids aren't traveling to it like mine were), book a weekend in Vegas or Atlantic City. Most casinos have really good restaurants and clubs too, if you need a little break from the slots.

Favor idea: Casino chip key chains would be a fun reminder of your trip.

3. Beach Road Trip
I love the beach (although, this summer, all the beaches by us have had shark attacks -- seriously -- so I've been skipping it this year and using the pool instead). How fun would a road trip to the beach with a car packed with your best gal pals be? Pack a beach blanket, a cooler filled with drinks and snacks (personally, I like to pack frozen edamame and when it's time to snack, it's defrosted), and enjoy the sunshine.

Most beach towns have boardwalks with bathing suit-friendly restaurants (with bars) too, so you can grab a bite to eat too. Plus, what bridal party wouldn't like a little extra sunshine before the wedding?

Favor idea: Bikini bags (You put your wet bathing suit in them and the water stays inside so the rest of your bag's contents stay dry. They're a must have!).

4. Comedy Club
Everyone likes to laugh, so what better place to do it than a comedy club? I've been to a bunch of them and they're always a good time. Some of them have cover charges and a two-drink minimum, so be sure to let party goers know about that ahead of time. If you have a guest who doesn't drink, she can always order something and pass it along to the bride.

Just be aware if you do head to one of these adorned with bridal party shirts and sashes, there's a good chance the comic will heckle you a little.

Favor idea: Groucho Marx glasses (these would make for a fun photo) or Mad Libs.

5. Baseball Game
My cousin and I accidentally crashed a bachelor party that rented out a suite. It was so much fun so we stayed a while, ate their food, and watched the game ... until they realized we were just party crashers who wandered in and then we left. The party was such a good time that I really think it's great for bachelorettes too. Baseball is a long game (those nine innings can go on forever sometimes), but that gives you a lot of time to eat, hang out, and just enjoy the party. If baseball isn't your thing, any other sporting event will work too.

Favor idea: Baseball hats for the team you're rooting for.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What other bachelorette party ideas do you have?

Rather stay in?
Check out our 5 At-Home Bachelorette Party Ideas (that don't involve strippers).

When DIY Turns Into D-I-Why Did I Do This (And why you can't Pinterest your whole wedding)

I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and one of my friends shared a photo of a very cute "balloon wrapped around a bottle" project. The next day, another friend sent me the same link. Two sightings in two days meant I was going to try it.

You wrap a balloon around a bottle and tie a ribbon up top. I even figured I would fill the bottle with baby's breath. And, as luck would have it, I had two small Krispy Kreme Iced Coffee bottles in the drying rack just waiting for a project.

Off I went to Walmart for baby's breath and balloons. I walked to the flower aisle ... no baby's breath. That should have been my first sign that I was in trouble. But, no worries, I thought. I'll just brainstorm and come up with something else. I went to the balloon aisle, grabbed a pretty pastel pack, and noticed swirl lollipops out of the corner of my eye. Perfect, I thought. I'll turn it into a lollipop holder for a candy bar.

I went to the candy aisle and couldn't find a single package of plain lollipops. Sign two? Should have been. I finally found a bag of caramel apple pops and decided to go with that.

I got home, set up everything on my porch (including my camera and its dying battery), and got ready to craft.

Nothing went as planned. I tried to wrap the balloon around the bottle, and it took me holding the bottle between my legs to get it to wrap. As I pulled it up, it snapped. It was too small for my small bottle.

I tried to salvage the project and decided to go with the balloon inside the bottle, wrapped around the top. But the balloon turned inside out somewhere along the way so it wouldn't stay inside.

So I decided to put the balloon inside first, then wrap the outside around the lid. If I couldn't cover the entire bottle, I would at least cover the twist. When I finally did get the balloon inside, it just looked like a basic project.

And I laughed.

I tried to salvage the project by finishing it and sticking lollipops in the hole the balloon created.

But there was no way that I, in my right mind, could encourage any bride to make this project for her wedding. And then I let out a sigh of relief because if I was planning my wedding, had my heart set on these, and this was the outcome, it would ruin me. I would just be so upset and struggling to make it work. Thank goodness this was just a blog post gone wrong.

But the truth is, sometimes, it just doesn't work. Sometimes a project you see on Pinterest ends up being nothing but a big fat fail. Your DIY turns into D-I-Why Did I Do This and making it work might take more time, energy, and materials than you have at your disposal. And that's okay. Just because you have an engagement ring, you don't automatically turn into Martha Stewart. It's not a magical piece of metal that awakens the crafty gene in you.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What DIY projects turned into DIY disasters for you?

A Groom's Take On The Garter Belt Toss

This post is written by Pete. For all his posts, check out this link.

Okay fellas; let's talk about the garter belt toss. I've spoken to a few of my buddies about this age-old comic relief stunt, and I've found that it can be quite a polarizing issue. Some people are in the "Yeah, great idea, I just can't wait for my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to watch me climb up under my new wife's dress" camp, while others don't take themselves so seriously and find the humor in going under their wife's dress in front of family ... and then watching all the single men fight gladiator-style over the garter belt because the girl who caught the bouquet has marvelous thighs and they ALL want to be the one who gets to put their hands on her.

Personally I've been on both sides of the garter belt toss and found it to be a fun and exciting way to be part of something that has the potential to be really amusing. If you're more of a spectator, you can just stand off to the side and watch a bunch of drunk dudes compete to catch a thin strip of silk with the intensity of a pack of NFL players trying to catch a Hail Mary pass in the end zone during the Super Bowl.

The whole garter belt toss tradition supposedly started in the 1300's. Back then, people thought it was good luck to have a piece of the bride's clothing. Guests would basically go bananas and rip the bride's dress to pieces like superstitious savages, leaving the bride looking like her dress was run over by a lawn mower. To stop this nonsense, somebody somewhere at some point decided that the bride should throw her bouquet at the unmarried women and the groom should toss the bride's garter belt at the unwed men. Makes much more sense. Now all of your drunk superstitious guests can fight amongst themselves, leaving the bride safe and her dress in one piece.

My opinion? I dunno. I've always thought that some traditions are great and worth keeping. They can be fun and they give the bride and groom something to look forward to, while others are just antiquated ignorant remnants of the middle ages. For example, the tradition of the bride being "given away." I mean, c'mon people. Women aren't cattle, this isn't 1374, and this isn't a business transaction between two men. Time to throw that one right in the trash where it belongs. (Lisa's note: I actually really love the tradition of a father walking the bride down the aisle and can't imagine a world where this beautiful moment is cut from weddings.)

Another absolutely pointless, ancient, and just straight up creepy wedding tradition that I think needs to be abolished is the "lifting of the veil." Back in the day the wedding veil served two purposes: One) It covered the bride's face so the groom's commitment to her wasn't based solely on looks and two) the lifting of the veil symbolized the allowance of consummating the marriage. (Remember, if you're Catholic, you're not allowed to have sex until your wedding night. TMI, but, some couples would consummate the marriage on top of the white veil and the following morning it would be held up in front of the town, revealing the blood stain, proving that the woman was a virgin. Whaaaaat?)

It's amazing how so many of the wedding traditions we perform are taken for granted because they have been so far removed from their original meaning. You'd be shocked. If I were you, and it matters to you and your wife-to-be, I'd read up on this stuff. Chances are your wedding may be a completely different experience altogether. Shoot man, you might just make up your own traditions altogether!

BRIDAL BABBLE: Are you planning on having the garter belt toss at your wedding?

Why Your "No Kids At The Wedding" Policy Needs To Be Flexible

My friend Nicole Skyped me eight or so months before my wedding. She was asking how planning was going and I went on an incredibly long rant about how difficult dress shopping was, how I tried on 50 dresses in three towns -- including an overnight trip in Raleigh -- to find my dress.

"How is the hotel you booked?" she asked.

And then I went on an equally long rant about how we were trying to book a hotel and the person helping us was impossible to reach, and then she ended up not even working at the hotel anymore ... because, well, that's how conversations go when you're planning a wedding. You don't mean to be completely self-absorbed, but that's how you basically become.

"Oh my gosh, stop talking a minute," Nicole's sister Mallory, who was also on the call, laughed at me.

"Does the hotel you booked have cribs?" Nicole asked.

And then I flipped out. Like a crazy person. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my GOSH," I screamed. "You're pregnant?" I was quite possibly more excited about that than anything else at that moment and felt really bad about monopolizing the video call with talks about dresses and hotels when we could have been talking about sonograms and how she told her parents.

She told me something that made me feel sort of bad. She said as soon as she found out she was pregnant, she thought about how she really wanted to come to our wedding and knew we weren't inviting kids, so she started brainstorming how to come from New York to North Carolina with (but without) a three-month baby. Before I could even say anything, she said that she and her husband would take turns holding the baby outside of the reception all night.

"Oh that's so silly," I said to her. "Of course the baby can come to the reception."

And that was the first bend in our "no kids at the wedding" policy.

I originally said no kids, no exceptions. This was an adult-only affair with an open bar and a (provided by us) shuttle service so that adults could enjoy themselves and not have to worry about how they'd get home.

And then I realized that nearly all our guests would be driving from New York to North Carolina. They'd be bringing their kids with them, sans a babysitter. So I thought about hiring a babysitter for the night so the parents could enjoy their night -- and so could the kids. But then our RSVP's started coming in and no one asked about their kids coming, so I scratched that idea and decided we'd be flexible on a case by case basis. And if you let yourself be just a little flexible, you might be better off.

Why Your "No Kids At The Wedding" Policy Needs To Be Flexible

If you have kids in your bridal party, you have to invite them to the reception.
It's really poor form to ask a friend or relative to buy a dress or suit for their kid, then have them behave at the rehearsal and the wedding, then not say thank you by letting that same child come to the reception. If you think they are mature enough to walk down the aisle, they're mature enough to sit at a table with their parents at the reception. Just be sure to ask your venue for an alternative kids meal because chicken fingers will go over much better than Chicken Oscar for the little ones.

If the parents are traveling alone and one parent offers to miss the reception to watch their kid.
We actually had this happen with two of my family members. My aunt was going to stay in the hotel to watch my cousin's daughter so my cousin could enjoy the reception. My other cousin's husband was going to stay home to watch their son so my cousin could go to the reception. Both options sounded silly to me. How could I ask my aunt to travel a dozen hours to get to my wedding and be in our ceremony, but then stay in the hotel during the party? And same with my cousin's husband. If the difference between him celebrating with us or not was their one-year-old son, then the son was getting on the guest list.

For local weddings, your friends can probably find a friend or babysitter to watch their kid(s) for a few hours. But for a destination wedding, or one where they are traveling across state lines, you do have to be a little more flexible.

If you like some kids better than others.
Maybe you really want your friend's daughter to come to the reception because you basically raised her but you don't want your other friend's son to come because he always fights with you. That's okay. Just because you invite one kid doesn't mean you have to invite all of them, just like if you invite one friend from college you don't have to invite your entire graduating class.

Or maybe you have young cousins and want to invite them because they're family, but you don't want to invite your friends' kids because they're not related to you. That's okay too.

Maybe you have kids.
If you have your own kids, you probably want them at your wedding. So there's that too.

How Do You Communicate Your "No Kids At The Wedding" Policy

This part is easy. When you are addressing your invitations to people with kids that are not invited, address them to Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Don't add the kids. Don't address it to "Smith Family." Adding family implies that the whole family is invited.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Are you inviting kids to your wedding?

Planning on inviting kids to your wedding?
Check out our How To Entertain Kids At A Wedding post.

Pin Of The Week: Waffle Bar

I love the idea of a Sunday brunch wedding. There are so many fun ideas that work only for a Sunday brunch wedding, like this week's Pin of the Week.

How fun is that waffle bar? It's so easy to set up too.

Roll out kraft paper across a table. Have waffles on white plates and set them up on one end. Add your favorite condiments (syrup, Nutella, peanut butter, etc.) on your first station. Set up toppings (berries, nuts, sprinkles, etc.) in white bowls as your second station. End with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Use a Sharpie to write on the kraft paper with each "step" or "station" and your waffle bar is done.

This would be such a cute action station (which you know I'm a huge fan of) for your brunch cocktail hour -- or even great for your breakfast the day after your wedding.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What would you put on your waffle?

Easy Candy To Go Box Favor

Sometimes, simple favors are the best favors. They require little effort to put together -- and sometimes, you need a wedding task that doesn't need you to stress and make decisions.

If you're looking for easy, this easy candy to go box favor is the winner. Plus, it's also inexpensive. And that helps. Often, when you're talking budget, people will tell you to cut your favors. And I hate that. I absolutely think you need to keep a wedding favor no matter what. Cut one couple from your guest list and you've paid for your favors, especially these ones.

Easy Candy To Go Box Favor

What You'll Need:

• To Go Box favor boxes
• Candy of your choosing (above is bulk M&M's, bulk jellybeans, candy pearls, and white Sweet Tart sugar flowers)

What You'll Do:

Fill the box with candy. Close it.

Like I said, easy. Sometimes wedding tasks are. Not often, but it does happen.

If you want to make this even easier, you can put the bulk candy out as a candy buffet, then leave the to go boxes on the side. Your guests can grab a box and fill it themselves. That makes it even easier for you.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What candies would you use in your candy to go box favor?

Honeymoon Packing Checklist (With A Free Printable!)

If you and your fiance can make it through your wedding unscathed, you deserve a vacation. I feel like honeymoons had to stem from that. After months of planning and stressing, you just need a few days to wear a large brimmed hat on the beach and sip a drink that a waiter brought to you on a tray.

That's not too much to ask.

But when you're there, relaxing on a tropical island, you don't want to think, "Shoot, I forgot a razor. So much for these cute bikinis."

With so much planning, though, you're bound to forget something. But don't worry. I won't let you. I put together a honeymoon packing checklist. You can, literally, print out the version at the bottom and cross items off as you pack them (that's what I do before trips) or you can just read it below and print this entire blog post so you can have room to write your own notes in the columns. Whatever keeps your sanity.

Honeymoon Packing Checklist

In your carry on:

• Flight confirmation
• Hotel confirmation number
• ID (passport or driver's license)
• Credit cards
• Cash
• Phone
• Camera
• Sunglasses
• Lip balm
• Gum/candy
• One pair of underwear (just in case they lose your luggage)

In your checked bag (with a cute luggage tag on it):

• Chargers (phone, camera, etc.)
• Sunscreen/Aloe
• Copies of your credit cards/license/travel documents
• Umbrella

For the bride only:

• Clothing:
• New lingerie
• Bra/underwear/socks
• Bathing suit
• Shorts/capris (two pairs for a week)
• Tops (three per bottom)
• Just married or wifey top
• Jeans (one pair)
• Nice dress for dinner out
• Sundress/beach cover up
• Pajamas
• Light cardigan
• Shoes:
• Flip flops
• Sneakers
• Cute heels
• Etc.:
• Tampons/pads
• Makeup 
• Jewelry

For the groom only:

• Clothing:
• Boxers/socks
• Bathing suit
• Shorts (two pairs for a week)
• Tops (three per pair of shorts)
• Jeans (one pair)
• Nice top for dinner out
• Belt
• Pajamas
• Shoes:
• Flip flops
• Sneakers

In a cute travel bag (in your checked bag):

• Body wash
• Shampoo/conditioner (in case)
• Razors
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Contacts/solution/case
• Glasses
• Vitamins/prescriptions
• Q-tips
• Hair ties
• Nail clippers/file
• Brush
• Deodorant
• Mini first aid kit (with band aids, aspirin, etc.)

The printable above is formatted to fit perfectly on a sheet of 8.5x11 printer paper, so that should make it easy for you. Just right click the image, save it to your computer, and print it when you're ready for it.

We have a few other wedding printables available for free, too. They're all listed below:

• Bridal Shower Word Search
• Mason Jar Hot Chocolate Mix Favors
• Be Wise, Don't Drink & Drive Owl Printable
• Lucky Duck Wine Rehearsal Dinner Gift
• DIY Bridesmaids Cards
• DIY Thanks A Latte Coffee Wedding Favor
• DIY Bridesmaids Wine Bottle
• Famous Couples Bridal Shower Game
• Thank You For Being My Groomsman Cigar Gift
• DIY Wedding Sparklers & Free Printable Tags
• Tears Of Joy Envelopes
• Bridal Bingo

BRIDAL BABBLE: What would you add to the honeymoon packing checklist?

How To Buy An Engagement Ring: Part 2 (The 4 C's Of Diamonds)

This post is written by Pete. For all his posts, check out this link.

Wondering how to buy an engagement ring? Or just curious about what your man went through? Pete is writing a series for us on How To Buy An Engagement Ring. Below is part two of the series. You can check out Part 1 here.

When buying a diamond you want to think about the “4 C’s” – carat, cut, color, and clarity.

Carat: I think a good place to start is to decide what size and shape diamond you want to get, because size and shape will determine how you will determine the other three “C”s. I decided on the size of the diamond I was going to get by using the following complicated formula: 1 carat is ridiculous and obnoxious and basically says, “Hey everybody. Look at my finger. Come hold me up at gunpoint at take my ring!” On the other hand, half a carat is a little small and says, “My fiance had no idea how expensive a diamond was going to be.” With that being said, I decided on a ¾ carat round diamond. Lisa preferred a circular shape, but there are many shapes to choose from. Only three C’s left. Yaaaaay!

Cut: The cut of a diamond refers to the shape (square, round, etc.,), but more importantly the way it reflects light. The type of cut will determine the overall appearance of the diamond – the way it sparkles and its brilliance. There are five different cut grades: poor (please don’t waste your money), fair (acceptable for diamonds less than .75 carats), good (best value), very good, and excellent. A good thing to keep in mind that under normal lighting, a “very good” diamond looks very similar to an “excellent” diamond, but is a lower price. 

If you're on a budget, a diamond of fair to good is where you want to focus. The diamond might have less of a sparkle, but you can get a larger diamond for a smaller price.

Color: I was surprised to know that diamonds actually come in a variety of colors (pinks, blues, even yellow). However in a white diamond, the presence of a yellow tint will lower the price of a diamond. A true white diamond will reflect true color, making its value (and cost) more.

White diamonds are graded on a scale of D (colorless) through Z (light color). Any D to Z diamonds are considered white, even though they contain colors other than white. Colored diamonds (which are meant to look yellows, pinks, and blues, but not white) are graded differently.

The chart below (taken from here) shows how a white diamond is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA):

Stick with the G to J diamonds. To the naked eye, those don't show any discoloration. For a larger diamond, stay close to G and H; for a smaller diamond, you can get away with I and J.

And the final “C” is:

Clarity: "Clarity refers to the degree to which (natural) imperfections are present" in a diamond. according to the GIA. These imperfections are referred to as “inclusions” and “blemishes”. Inclusions and blemishes interfere with the path of light, so the diamond isn't as brilliant.

There’s an easy chart for this too, thanks to the GIA:

VS1 and VS2 are the most popular diamond. Without any tools, these look flawless -- and cost a fraction of what actually flawless diamonds cost. The next most popular is the SI1, which has inclusions, but they're not significant. In diamonds under 1 carat, you can go with an SI2 grade. That’s what I did, and Lisa’s diamond looks amazing. In diamonds under 1 carat, clarity should be considered the least important of the “4 Cs”.

Okay fellas, hope that helped. Now stop procrastinating. Crack open those wallets and do the right thing!

BRIDAL BABBLE: What type of diamond is in your ring?

How To Create The Perfect Wedding Menu

I'm going to be very honest with you. You will not eat at your wedding. Even if you're the bride who says she is definitely going to eat at your wedding, you won't be. Trust me.

I swore up and down that I was going to eat at our wedding. Our tasting was amazing and for four months, I was dreaming of our Chicken Oscar. I couldn't wait to have it again. And the crab cakes, oh my gosh. Four months I waited for them.

Four months and a day. Because eating at your wedding is just impossible. So when you're creating a wedding menu, you're not making it for yourself. You're making it for your guests. So you want to choose foods that are universally appealing but also foods that make it appear that you spent a lot of money when you didn't.

How To Create The Perfect Wedding Menu

Most wedding venues will give you options. At our venue, we were able to choose three passed and three plated appetizers for the cocktail hour, for a total of six. Our reception venue was on the beach, so I knew I wanted to have seafood (even though my seafood of choice is tuna fish from the can). Plus, choosing crab cakes was the same price as picking as veggie spring roll. And no offense to the spring roll lovers, but crab cakes were a little more wedding worthy.

I kept the more expensive items in mind, plus the ones that would offer the most variety. If we picked bruschetta, we would actually get trio of bruschetta. So now it looked like we had eight options instead of six.

Illusion can be your friend.

The list of our actual options are below, and our choices are highlighted.

Plated Hors d’ Oeuvres:

International & Domestic Cheese & Cracker Display, Assorted Fresh Vegetables with Dip Assorted Fruit Display, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Toasted Pita Points, Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Toasted Flat Bread, Ham Biscuits with Dijon Mustard,  Pimento Cheese with Toasted Flat Bread 

Passed Hors d’ Oeuvres:

Three Roma Tomato Bruschetta, Petite Chicken or Vegetable Quesadillas, Miniature Crab Cakes,  Southern Pork Mini Sliders, Vegetable Spring Roll with Dipping Sauce Antipasto Skewers, Parmesan Artichoke Hearts, Chicken Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce, Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna, Cremini Mushrooms with Italian Sausage, Basil Pesto Bruschetta

My logic behind them:

Cheese and crackers give you lots of choices, plus it takes up a lot of room. Same with the veggies and dip. Plus, I'm always picking at the crudité at weddings because I want to fill up on healthy options. And we went with the spinach and artichoke dip because that's the most expensive feeling of what was left (and who doesn't love that?).

For the passed, we went with the bruschetta because we got the trio. The crab cakes because it's crab and the ahi tuna because that's generally expensive. We had a chicken option for dinner, so we didn't need chicken at the cocktail hour or people would get burned out on it. And I skipped anything just veggie because we had all meatless options in the plated options. We were close on picking the sliders but they seemed too messy for hors d' Oeuvres.

We also opted to add on a shrimp and grits action station. I actually wrote a whole post on that here.

For salad, we could pick a garden salad, Caesar salad, or iceberg wedge. Pete crossed the iceberg off right away because no one wants that. He said there's more in the garden salad than Caesar, and he was right. It just looked so pretty for our guests. Great choice.

When choosing your dinner options, your entree options will vary with price based on your meat choice. You can go with the prime rib or the filet mignon. What's the difference? For us, $10 a head. For a 100-person guest list, that's $1,000 (which could be an extra hour of open bar). And that's regardless of if your guests choose the beef or chicken option. That's such a waste of money. Plus, after your guests have been drinking for hours, they probably won't notice the difference anyway.

We went with the prime rib and a chicken option: Chicken Oscar (with lump crab meat, asparagus and Hollandaise sauce). That gave our fish-eaters a little extra seafood too, which was good because we didn't offer a third fish option. We had enough seafood during the cocktail hour that no one missed it at dinner.

If you are planning to have a fish option at dinner but not chicken, just incorporate chicken into the cocktail hour. If people get enough chicken then, they won't even want it as their entree so they won't miss it on the menu.

We made sure our menu was really well balanced and our venue made sure there was enough food for all our guests. It really was perfect.

I designed a menu with the salad, entree choices, and dessert options on it (because we had two types of cake). Plus, our menu said "Late Night" on it because we closed the night with our candy bar.

I created it on PicMonkey with a luggage tag up top that said "Thank you for sharing our first meal as husband and wife." We had luggage tags all over (like on our candy bar tags and our RSVP cards), so this tied in perfectly.

BRIDAL BABBLE: If you were at our wedding, which of these wedding menu items would you have enjoyed?