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Weddings around the world: Persia

Last month, the ladies of Hot Pink attended a gorgeous wedding that incorporated elements of the bride’s Persian heritage. A traditional Persian wedding ceremony takes place around the “Sofreh Aghd,” or the “wedding spread.” The spread is filled with many items of symbolic significance in Persian culture.

During the ceremony, the bride and groom sit at the head of the table. Family members and friends, usually unmarried bridesmaids, hold a lace or silk canopy over the couple. Married women take turns grinding two cones of sugar over the couple’s heads, a symbol of good wishes for a sweet life together. Another married woman sews thread through the lace cloth in a symbolic binding of the couple’s love.

After giving words of wisdom and advice about love and marriage, the ceremony officiant asks the bride’s consent for marriage. The bride makes her man wait, refusing to answer until the question is repeated three times. The bride’s family typically yells humorous excuses for the bride before her final consent. The tradition signifies the bride’s innocence and shyness.

At the ceremony’s conclusion, the bride and groom dip their pinky fingers in honey and feed each other. The honey is thought to sweeten to the couple’s future life together.

Must-have vendors who get overlooked

We’ve spoken with a lot of brides over the years, and many tell us they’re cutting costs on three essential vendors. Here’s why a professional photographer, hair and makeup stylist, and wedding planner are must-haves for a stress-free wedding day:

The number one reason to get your hair and makeup professionally done? Less stress. Don’t let a bad hair day or messy makeup ruin your morning. Hair and makeup is a way to pamper yourself before the wedding. While you might be able to do your own day-to-day makeup, professionals know how to make it last from the first kiss to the last dance. Plus your skin will be flawless in the photos. Don’t look back at the pictures and regret that you didn’t look your best.

If you’re going to splurge on one thing for your wedding, make it hair and makeup. Take money from an unnecessary expense in your budget. It’ll be well worth it.

Whether she’s with you in the early planning stages or just on your wedding day, a wedding planner handles all the little details that easily get overlooked. She’s organized hundreds of weddings, while you’ll only have one. On the day of your wedding, you don’t want to worry about whether the caterer is on time or the décor is right. A wedding planner ensures your day is stress free, coordinating all the wedding vendors for you.

As a working woman, you already have a busy life. A wedding planner works with your schedule to ensure every aspect of your wedding day is perfect. Let your wedding planning be a worry-free experience so you can focus on yourself and your upcoming marriage. Wedding coordinators will help make your dream wedding a reality.

Flowers crumble and cake dries, but wedding photos last a lifetime. They’re the images your kids will flip through, and the pictures you’ll display on your 50th wedding anniversary. This is one vendor you don’t want to scrimp on.

We emphasize professional photographer. You may have a family member or friend who’s an aspiring photographer. While you could hire him for free or almost nothing, you’re taking a huge risk. Uncontracted photographers are not liable if your photos are poor quality or lost. Your wedding day memories can easily turn into a nightmare. Don’t risk a friendship in order to save a few bucks. Make the sacrifice with the money and pay for a professional photographer who fits your personality and style. Ensure that your memories are preserved forever with a photographer you can count on to deliver.

Valentine’s Day Wedding

Valentine’s Day revolves around two of our favorite things: love and chocolate! So we came up with some sweet ideas for tying the knot on February 14.

A Valentine’s wedding should be covered head-to-toe in hearts. Dress bridesmaids in romantic shades of red and pink. Strew tables with conversation heart candies, rose petals, and heart-shaped chocolates. Cupcakes are sweet choices for the holiday, or incorporate candied hearts into your wedding cake. And send your guests home with a goody bag of treats from a heart-themed candy station.

Have a fabulous Valentine’s Day!

Chic bridal headpieces and fascinators

Replace your traditional veil with a unique headpiece or fascinator. This popular trend echoes Royal Wedding hats as well as vintage hair accessories. Chic feathers, netting, pearls, lace, crystals, and other delicate accents add a touch of sophisticated elegance on the wedding day. You can achieve an avant-garde, fashion-forward look with elaborate headpieces, or create a more subdued feel with vintage designs or delicate headbands. While white is classic bridal, consider picking a headpiece that incorporates your wedding’s color scheme.

Picnic wedding inspiration

It may be the dead of winter, but we’re thinking spring with this picnic-themed wedding!

Spread red and white checkered tablecloths over picnic tables, or pair traditional tables with red umbrellas. Create cute decor with lanterns, baskets of red apples, and clusters of country flowers like gerbera daisies and orange poppies. Keep menus sweet and simple; serve cartons of milk, fresh squeezed lemonade, candied apples, and bite-sized sandwiches. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, give your guests miniature cherry pies. And if you happen to have an old red pickup truck, use it as decor! The bed of the truck makes a great dessert table.

Wedding Catering 101

The menu is one of the most important aspects of a wedding reception. But a lot of essential catering details can get overlooked in the bustle of wedding planning. Don’t leave a bad taste in your guest’s mouth. Take a crash course with our Catering 101!

Buffets are the most cost effective option and are a nice choice for casual weddings. But they can also cause major traffic jams. Make sure you have two buffet lines to keep the dinner flowing smoothly, and consider using a wait staff to clear the tables and serve drinks. Also ensure that there’s plenty of food. You don’t want the last guest in line to go hungry.

Don’t book a caterer blindly. Read reviews online, check the caterers’ websites for local awards, and ask for references. Also ask your other vendors if they have any recommendations. They’re experienced professionals in the business, and some might offer discounts if you book with a preferred vendor.

Once you’ve narrowed down your search, prepare an essential list of questions: Does the caterer provide sit-down meals, buffets, or stations? What kind of menu options can you and your guests choose from? Does the catering include a wedding cake? Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting for your money.

If you’re lucky, your reception site has an excellent, reasonably priced, in-house caterer. But most likely you’ll need to track down an independent service. Before you start looking, find out if your reception site provides linens, dinnerware, tables, chairs, waiters, etc. If you have a space that includes these dining extras, you only need a bare-bones caterer to provide the food. Full-service caterers, on the other hand, include food, beverages, waiters, and bartenders, as well as linens and dinnerware options.

Speaking of costs, keep in mind that caterers’ initial estimates are based on current food prices. Find out what price differences you should expect at the time of your wedding. Also ask about price guarantees and refund policies. And when you give the caterer your guest list number, don’t forget to set aside meals for your DJ, wedding planner, and photographer!

Before you leave, make sure you get every part of your agreement in writing, down to the tiniest detail. You don’t want any unpleasant surprises on your wedding day.

You’ll never please everyone, so select a menu that you think your guests will enjoy but that also appeals to you and your fiancé. The best option is options; if possible let your guests choose between fish, chicken, beef, or other entrees.

Sit-down meals are usually the most expensive, but are well suited for formal weddings. Food stations manned by wait staff are popular alternatives. Stations provide variety for guests, plus you can choose dishes that match your personal tastes and the wedding’s theme. Stations can include just about anything: pasta, sushi, carved turkey, spicy kabobs, desserts, and more.

Weddings are expensive, and it might seem like a good idea to cut costs on catering. But trust us, guests will appreciate the extra thought that goes into their meals. Ensure your menu contains a variety of high quality options.

White out wedding

Billy Idol said it best: It’s a nice day for a white wedding! An all-white wedding is elegant, chic, and fashion forward. Fill white vases with white roses, drape a white canopy over your reception space, and add lots of candlelight and glitter. Serve vanilla-based foods and a main course coated in white cream sauce.

Don’t be afraid of getting lost in all this white. A white wedding gown with lots of texture and sparkle will still allow you to shine.

Songs banned from receptions

We’ve been to a lot of weddings. And for every amazing reception, there’s one with music that makes us cringe. Let’s face it, disco should stay in the ’70s. And let’s not get started about synchronized dance moves. So we put together a list of songs we think should be banned from wedding receptions (with Youtube links if you don’t believe us):

1. Celebration – Kool & The Gang 2. We Are Family – Sister Sledge 3. The Macarena — Los del Río 4. The Chicken Dance 5. Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gay 6. I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred 7. YMCA – The Village People 8. Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper 9. Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide) – Marcia Griffiths 10. Cotton-Eye Joe – Rednex 11. Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood 12. Dancing Queen – Abba 13. The Twist – Chubby Checker 14. Boot Scootin’ Boogie – Brooks and Dun 15. Macho Man – The Village People 16. Conga – Gloria Estafan 17. Twist and Shout – The Beatles 18. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

Wedding Invitation Ideas for Bride and Grooms

Although it is a joyful event, planning a wedding can be stressful and time consuming. The bride and groom have so many decisions to make that it can seem overwhelming. Not everyone has the luxury of hiring a wedding planner to keep everything organised so that no detail is overlooked. But as you shop for wedding save the date cards and invitations, check out Bride & Groom site – in addition to selling wedding stationery, they also provide a free wedding planner that offers a wedding checklist, a countdown of what to do and when and even a guide to stay on budget.

For affordable contemporary wedding invitations, bespoke vintage wedding stationery, and many other styles and designs, visit Bride and Groom at mylacebridal.com and use their one hundred years of experience and expertise to plan a wedding that will be remembered by all who attend for many years to come.

For the bride and groom who love handcrafted invitations but are rather short on time, Bride and Groom Direct offers a DIY wedding kit in quite a variety of colour options, styles and stationery items to match. Create truly one of a kind invitations from lovely designs that give a glimpse of the exciting day to come. Have fun choosing fonts, styling and printing inserts at home. Even the bits and bobs are available to make truly unique creations.

Wedding invitations reflect the overall colours and theme of the wedding as that is the first glimpse the guests will have of the big day. Bride and Groom is a user-friendly site where it is easy to find contemporary wedding invitations or other styles to complement the wedding theme. For example, if planning a vintage wedding, then vintage wedding stationery is available in invitations, menu cards, order of service cards and other items. All selections can be personalised with your choice of typeface, wording style and colours.

Pink Wedding Dress Inspiration

Lately celebrities are forgoing the traditional white wedding dress and going for a pink wedding dress. It’s easy to see why this is a popular choice of color; pink is often associated with femininity, love, and romance. Reese Witherspoon and Portia de Rossi went for a lighter, soft shade of pink, while Gwen Stefani chose a bolder shade, with a white to hot pink ombre dress.

Love pink but don’t want to venture away from the traditional white dress? Think about adding a pink belt to accent your white dress, such as this beautiful floral sash, also part of the White by Vera Wang line at MyLaceBridal.com.

Designers have noticed this trend, too. The latest collection of the White by Vera Wang line at David’s Bridal has not one, but two pink dresses in it that can be seen below.

What do you think of this trend? Can you see yourself wearing a pastel wedding dress or do you want to leave that to the celebs?

If those dresses are too pink for you Hot Pink Brides, MyLaceBridal.com also has more subtle dresses with a printed pink organza that are also a beautiful change from the usual.

Must-have vendors who get overlooked

We’ve spoken with a lot of brides over the years, and many tell us they’re cutting costs on three essential vendors. Here’s why a professional photographer, hair and makeup stylist, and wedding planner are must-haves for a stress-free wedding day:

Whether she’s with you in the early planning stages or just on your wedding day, a wedding planner handles all the little details that easily get overlooked. She’s organized hundreds of weddings, while you’ll only have one. On the day of your wedding, you don’t want to worry about whether the caterer is on time or the décor is right. A wedding planner ensures your day is stress free, coordinating all the wedding vendors for you.

As a working woman, you already have a busy life. A wedding planner works with your schedule to ensure every aspect of your wedding day is perfect. Let your wedding planning be a worry-free experience so you can focus on yourself and your upcoming marriage. Wedding coordinators will help make your dream wedding a reality.

Flowers crumble and cake dries, but wedding photos last a lifetime. They’re the images your kids will flip through, and the pictures you’ll display on your 50th wedding anniversary. This is one vendor you don’t want to scrimp on.

We emphasize professional photographer. You may have a family member or friend who’s an aspiring photographer. While you could hire him for free or almost nothing, you’re taking a huge risk. Uncontracted photographers are not liable if your photos are poor quality or lost. Your wedding day memories can easily turn into a nightmare. Don’t risk a friendship in order to save a few bucks. Make the sacrifice with the money and pay for a professional photographer who fits your personality and style. Ensure that your memories are preserved forever with a photographer you can count on to deliver.

The number one reason to get your hair and makeup professionally done? Less stress. Don’t let a bad hair day or messy makeup ruin your morning. Hair and makeup is a way to pamper yourself before the wedding. While you might be able to do your own day-to-day makeup, professionals know how to make it last from the first kiss to the last dance. Plus your skin will be flawless in the photos. Don’t look back at the pictures (taken by your professional photographer) and regret that you didn’t look your best.

If you’re going to splurge on one thing for your wedding, make it hair and makeup. Take money from an unnecessary expense in your budget. It’ll be well worth it.

Valentine’s Day Wedding

Valentine’s Day revolves around two of our favorite things: love and chocolate! So we came up with some sweet ideas for tying the knot on February 14.

A Valentine’s wedding should be covered head-to-toe in hearts. Dress bridesmaids in romantic shades of red and pink. Strew tables with conversation heart candies, rose petals, and heart-shaped chocolates. Cupcakes are sweet choices for the holiday, or incorporate candied hearts into your wedding cake. And send your guests home with a goody bag of treats from a heart-themed candy station.

Gorgeous ideas for ceremony decor

The ceremony’s design details can be as personalized as reception décor. Countless ceremony venues provide a unique backdrop for wedding vows: a garden, hotel, church, beach, barn, backyard, art gallery, museum—we’ve seen it all!

No matter the location, you can personalize the ceremony venue with special details. Create a ceremony arch from a floral trellis, draped fabrics, paper garlands, an architectural feature such as a gazebo, or a piece of art. Lighting also brings a special vibe to the ceremony. Think dreamy pinks, soft glows, or shades that compliment the wedding’s color scheme. Paper lanterns, candles, and strings of miniature lights add romance to any evening ceremony. Traditional church weddings can also receive a touch of personalization with pew decorations of bows and bouquets, or with colorful aisle runners. Don’t hesitate to experiment with seating as well. U-shaped and circular seating put the couple at the true heart of the wedding, surrounded by friends and family.

Groom’s cakes for your man

Originating in the South, the groom’s cake is a fun addition to the main wedding cake. The groom’s cake is typically a gift from the bride to the groom and usually represents the groom’s personality and interests. We’ve seen crazy groom’s cakes inspired by teams, hobbies, liquor, even fast food. The more unique, the better.

Serve the groom’s cake at the rehearsal dinner or as an alternative flavor at the reception. Slices of the cake can also be sent home with guests as wedding favors. According to tradition, if a single woman sleeps with a slice of this cake under her pillow, she’ll dream of her future husband. Messy, but worth a shot!

Which flowers to choose

The big question: which flowers to choose?

Contrary to popular opinion, lots of men are more than capable of coming up with some very tasteful floral designs for weddings, so this is an issue that shouldn’t be simply left to the bride to decide upon. Years of buying flowers as gifts for her birthday has given many men a very well-rounded education in floristry and this is a resource that should not go untapped!

Every married woman can tell you about the joys and difficulties of organizing a wedding. Hour upon hour of discussions about wedding cakes, the searing stress about the dress, finding gifts for her bridesmaids, finalizing the wedding breakfast menu – it can seem like a never-ending list of tasks, and you might be left wondering whether it’s all worth it in the long run.

Men will also be in the advantageous position of knowing full well what kind of flowers their wife-to-be prefers, having suffered her wrath on any occasions when a wrong choice was made in the past.

But one issue that needn’t add to the pre-wedding stress is the choosing, designing, and ordering of wedding flowers.

For the benefit of those men who still aren’t sure what kind of flowers their loved one likes best, and for the ladies who are wondering what their wedding flowers will say to their guests, here is a brief guide to the connotations of different flowers:

Red carnations – You’re a bit flashy and like to show off

Daisies – You’re sweet and innocent

Yellow tulips – You’re hopelessly in love

Red roses – You’re burning with passion and lust

Hyacinths – You’re sincere and honest

Marigolds – You aspire to be wealthy

Orchids – You’re all about aesthetics and beauty

Choosing flowers certainly shouldn’t be left to one half of the couple rather than the other. While brides do often have the strongest opinions on floral matters, plenty of men have spent many hours in their local florists drumming up great gift ideas for women, so don’t overlook their expertise!

There are, of course, thousands of flowers that you might choose to decorate your wedding venue and the above interpretations of flower meanings are by no means universal! The best policy is to go with your heart and choose something that means a lot to you both as a couple – the way that anyone else decides to interpret your flower choices shouldn’t really matter!

History of the honeymoon

Honeymoons are a must for most newlyweds, but where did the tradition actually come from?

Some nineteenth-century naysayers disapproved of honeymoons, because the vacations focused on the bride’s (supposed) first experiences with sex. For many couples of long ago, the honeymoon was kind of like today’s dating. Wealthier couples were often minimally acquainted before tying the knot. We can imagine that wedding nights were not all passion and bliss. These long honeymoons were a chance for couples to get to know each other both physically and emotionally.

The word “honeymoon” dates back to medieval 1546. Since a month follows one full cycle of the moon, the word is based on the idea that “the first month of marriage is the sweetest.” Samuel Johnson, an English poet and essayist, called the honeymoon period “nothing but tenderness and pleasure.”

Another theory says that newlyweds of many cultures drank honeyed wine for the first month of marriage. The mead was thought to improve the couple’s fertility.

So where does the vacation come in? The tradition of post-wedding travel began in England in the early 1800s. Friends and family members sometimes accompanied the newlyweds. (Now just imagine sharing your honeymoon suite with the in-laws…) The bridal tours often lasted for months and usually included the French Riviera and seaside resorts of Italy.

Today’s honeymoons are usually shorter and more intimate, and take place anywhere from Niagra Falls to Fiji to Iceland. But like honeymoons of the past, they all celebrate the start of a new and beautiful marriage.

Wedding designers’ words of wisdom

As you search for the perfect wedding dress, remember some words of wisdom from our favorite designer icons:

Monique Lhuillier “Don’t trust a picture–ever. The only way you’ll know what looks best on you is to try it on. A gown could seem great on paper, but until it’s on your body, you won’t really know.”

Vera Wang “Stay true to yourself, to your taste and what works for your body. My ideal client is a woman who knows who she is and who she wants to be.”

Badgley Mischka “A good fit is so important. If it suits you perfectly, even a basic gown can look incredible.”

Carolina Herrera “Go dress shopping by yourself. A lot of opinions will only confuse you, and at the end of the day, it’s only yours that matters.”

Angel Sanchez “When you find ‘the dress,’ you’ll know. If you don’t feel an instant chemistry when you look in the mirror, don’t buy it.”

Marchesa “When choosing a gown, go with something that highlights the features you like most. If you don’t feel completely comfortable, you are simply not going to look your best.”

Reem Acra “Years from now, you don’t want your children to ask, ‘What were you thinking?’ Your wedding look should never go out of fashion.”

All quotes courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings fall issue.

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