noritake unique wedding favors unique wedding favors
Learn the 4 C's of diamonds at Abazias.

hatch creative studio

I'm lucky enough to have Jenny Ebert contributing to Something Old, Something New today. Great ideas are always welcome here!

Floral by Hatch Creative Studios
I see a lot of beautiful floral arrangements but the designs by Hatch Creative Studios in NYC really have been taking the cake. This amazing shell overflowing with orchids would not only be a stunning bouquet for a bride but it also would look fabulous in my living room! Pearled Nautilus Shell with Phalaenops Orchids. $150
Best~
Jenny
Jenny Ebert, lifestyle photographer and wedding afficianado is currently contributing her insight and expertise to Something Old, Something New on a bi-weekly basis, you can visit her website here.

jammie time

caprirosejammies
The jammies over at Capri Rose are really right up my ally. The patterns? Love them! Today I found out thru Capri herself that special custom jammies can be made in small quantities to suit your wedding colors or theme. How perfect would these be for your bridesmaids? Say you aren't getting married, but you're looking for a special gift for someone this Christmas? JAMMMIES! Nothing says "I love you" like a nice cozy pair of jammies.

wediquette: seating situation

Periodically Xochitl (pronounced so-cheel), our resident wediquette expert and owner of Always a Bridesmaid Wedding Consulting, answers an etiquette question submitted* by one of our readers. So, (without further ado):

Q: What is the ediquette for seating divorced parents (with
the Dad having remarried) at the ceremony? My fiance's step-mother
is a big part of his life, so how can we properly honor both his
mom and step-mother - without just sticking his dad between them?
--Pamela


A: The key to recognizing her is to have her take part in your procession.
If you're having a Jewish ceremony, then your step mother should be escorted in by the best man just before your fiance enters with his mother and father or just prior to the bridal party. She should be seated in the second row on the groom's side, and his father would join her in that row once he was down the aisle.

If this is a Christian or non-denominational Christian style ceremony, then your father and his wife would walk down the aisle, followed by the groom's mother escorted by a groomsmen or usher (or I like to substitute this with an uncle or special relative if that's appropriate) followed by the Mother of the Bride escorted by the Bestman, (or usher, important relative or sibling of yours if you have one. Again, the Mother of the groom should sit in the first seat of the first row on the groom's side, with your mother opposite her. Your groom's dad and his wife would sit in the 2nd row in the first two seats.

Sometimes,if divorced parents are particularly coridal,we'll just have them all in the front row together, but that is a comfort level that only you and your fiance would know if it exists!

If you are still concerned about her feeling a bit of a second class citizen, you can also consider adding a reading, but be sure that none of the other mothers feel slighted.--Xochitl of Always a Bridesmaid

*If you've got a question for our expert, submit it by clicking "submit your question" in the right hand column, under "wediquette".

good cause, gorgeous stuff

whiteaislesilk
Rebbecca at The White Aisle emailed me this morning about some wonderful products for a wonderful cause. You can read more about it on Rebecca's website, but in general, The White Aisle has developed a relationship with a day center in Phnom Penh that helps young women leave behind their lives as sex workers. The school teaches these girls the sewing skills they need to craft these gorgeous silk wedding accessories and pays them a fair wage so that they can leave the brothels for fresh start. 100% of the profits from the silk flowers, ring pillows and sashes go towards these women's salaries. Check out the gorgeous silk wedding accessories and maybe help someone else out in the process. It's a win win!

dresden trims

dresden
I have lots to be thankful for, yet I am NOT thankful that my pants are ALREADY feeling squeezy, and I have an entire holiday season of delicious home-cooked fun ahead of me. It annoys me that I would even entertain the idea of avoiding my mom's white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies in favor of my slender jeans. I'm ashamed. *hangs head, changes subject*
Dresden trims are die-cut, embossed, three dimensional, paper embellishments that have been made for about a hundred years in Germany. Mounted on cardstock, these would look amazing as favor tags or hung from a wine glass as a placecard. I'm sure Martha could think of a million other things to use them for... I found these gorgeous examples at The Tinsel Trading Company, along with several other varieties in a range of sizes and shapes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

rockett holiday
I'm back home in Connecticut at my parent's house, hanging out with my sister, eating good stuff. I'm signing off for the weekend, but I'll be back in action on Monday morning. I hope everyone has a warm and cozy holiday with the ones you love.
Toasting glasses and pretty leafy trivets from Rockett St. George. Cheers!

beauty and the bargain

beautiful on a budget
Seems to be a surplus of sweeeeet wedding dresses lately! I was so impressed with the pretty cuts and flattering sillouettes on these two over at Nordstrom's. What really floored me was the price tags. The first one (by Calvin Klein) for less than $200, and the second one (by JS Collection) is on sale for less than $300. Since when did anything labeled a wedding dress cost less than $300? And from Calvin Klein no less! If anyone gets a chance to try either on in person, let us know if they feel as nice as they look.

glamorous

notte by Marchesa
I've posted about the beautiful gowns from Notte by Marchesa in the past, but when I saw this one, I couldn't resist passing it on. So elegant! It reminds me of something Edith Head might have designed in the 1930's for Betty Davis. I love that it wasn't made to be a wedding gown, but couldn't be more appropriate. I love even more that you can get a designer gown for less than $1000.

wediquette: mother's rules

Periodically Xochitl (pronounced so-cheel), our resident wediquette expert and owner of Always a Bridesmaid Wedding Consulting, answers an etiquette question submitted* by one of our readers. So, (without further ado):

Q: What is the color rule for mothers and mother-in-laws? My future daughter-in-law is having red dresses and I would like to know what color to go with. Do both mothers have to wear the same (long or short) or can one go long and one go short?--Karen

A: There is no rule about length concerning mothers and mother-in-laws, however, the color is the important thing. The MOB should select her dress first, with consideration to the color of the bridesmaid's dresses. Maybe a nice chocolate brown for fall, or a champagne for spring and summer. In winter; black, a deep plum or a navy will look sophisticated and the MOG should follow suit. Should you do browns, then she should shy away from black. She shouldn't necessarily go for the same color, but something that will photograph nicely alongside the other tones. She could go navy or a plum for instance. I think that what should dictate the length is really the formality of the party, and what you feel lovely in!--Xochitl of Always a Bridesmaid

*If you've got a question for our expert, submit it by clicking "submit your question" in the right hand column, under "wediquette".

infinity, plus two

weddingbands
Your wedding ring. It's the second in a series of two rings you'll most likely get on your way to married life, and in my opinion, it's been sort of under appreciated. The engagement ring gets to be the fancy one, the attention getter, and the wedding band takes a back seat. It doesn't really have to be that way. What about uniquely shaped, more varied wedding rings that could be just as expressive as the engagement ring? Cathy Waterman makes some really amazing pieces that could all be wedding bands. I love the infinity band, and the sentiment seems just about perfect.

why did no one tell me?

fifilapin
I've been in love with Fifi Lapin ever since Joy posted about her last July. She is an adorable heiress bunny (with a blog) who is fabulously rich and dresses up in fabulous outfits every day. You can buy a print of Fifi on her Etsy shop in many, many different designer outfits for a song (only just $40). But today, TODAY I have discovered something truly fascinating. TODAY I found out thru Brooklyn Bride that Fifi will try on ANY outfit at your request. ANY outfit! Meaning that you could (for a very reasonable $40.00) have a drawing of Fifi in your wedding dress hanging on your very wall! You might have to be a Fifi-follower to appreciate how fun this really is... but even if you're not? You have to admit, it would be an adorable keepsake.

a welcome break from the tile

footlux
I can't tell you what a welcome break it is to sit down with my laptop and search the web for something other than tile, rugs, and faucets. This whole long weekend has been about nothing but house stuff, and I'm kinda maxed out. So when Christine emailed me, asking about bridal pumps with bows, I could not have been happier to put down the Home Depot card. I found such adorable options over at FootLux, I decided to share with the group! Love, love, love the gathered details on the round toe pumps.

monogram your walls

mariericci
I love this as a gift idea for a newly married couple... one who's planning to share a last name anyway. Aaaand, they come in a huge variety of beautiful colors. Visit Marie Ricci for the deets.

too much?

judithripka
Oh, pretty rings. Pretty, pretty rings.
Engagement worthy? I think so. It's hard to tell online though. They might be a bit too cocktail-y? Both Judith Ripka. Both available at Nordstrom's.

time for tea

stephaniejames
Saw this today on Wedding Bee and couldn't resist re-posting it. I wish I had known about Stephanie James Couture when I was planning my wedding. I looked everywhere for tea length dresses, EVERYWHERE! Stephanie excels at tea length. Ah... hindsight. Anyway, if any of you are looking for tea length, vintage inspired gowns--look no further. FYI- She also makes adorable blushers.

blooming boxes

Flowerboxes
Oh, these are just precious! These beautiful flower boxes are from Parapluie, (that means umbrella, in french). The paper petals open to reveal whatever tiny treat you decide to tuck inside. For little more than folded paper, these could really add some pop to your place-settings. Available in pink, baby blue, white and red.

delicate cupcake wrappers

cupcakewrappers
In need of some gorgeous cupcake wrappers to dress up your cupcake tower? Paper Orchid has some really pretty filigree ones that could also work as cups for favors or candies. Love the butterflies on the right.

dresses for the girls

maggylondon
Beautiful, unique bridesmaids dresses from Maggy London over at Nordstrom's. Love the little details in her gowns, as well as the wearability of each of these. Check her collection for several splashy colors in a variety of pretty cuts.

a girl can dream, can't she?

AnthonyNak
Anthony Nak makes some of the most beautiful earrings I have ever seen. If only...(those are day-dreaming ellipses).

Mackenzie's Sketchbook