Brides, confess your inner bridezilla!

No one wants to be labeled a "bridezilla," but a lot of women can get a little out of hand when planning their own wedding. Before you take it out on you fiance, your parents, your maid of honor...take a look at True Bride Confessions. You can leave your confessions on the site completely anonymously, and show you support for other brides who feel the same way. Let your innermost thoughts out there instead of hurting the ones you love. Or just get a laugh or feel some sympathy for the confessions of other brides.

Personalize your wedding: Saying "I do"

Depending on your venue, you may be able to incorporate some non-traditional ideas into your ceremony (some churches and religions may have restrictions and requirements that you will need to follow. Other locations may have site restrictions as well). Choose a contemporary song to walk down the aisle, something that has meaning to both of you. Pick a different unity ceremony—instead of candles, some couples use sand or wine. For the reading, write a poem about you and your soon to be spouse (or, have someone else write it). If you can, write your own vows for the ultimate personal touch. What can be more personal than making the ultimate promise of love in your own words?

Guys can plan weddings, too

Grooms 411 gives guys a place to go for wedding planning advice. A good deal of the content is more humorous than helpful, but hey, it's a start.

The site also features a page for brides with tips on getting their groom involved.

Renew your vows for the record books?

The Post-Gazette reports that 1,000 couples in Pittsburgh can renew their wedding vows as part of a record-breaking ceremony during the city's 250th anniversary celebration.

Fine idea, but I'm not getting what it has to do with 250 years of Pittsburgh. Anyway, I'm more than happy for something that can bring publicity Pittsburgh's way!

The Rise of "Look at Me" Weddings

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday published a column by Betsy Hart of Scripps Howard News Service about the stunts couples pull at their wedding to make sure attention remains on them, no doubt inspired by this video, referenced in the article:




And, by far my favorite item in the column:

"Another wedding featured a surprise performance from the groom and
groomsmen serenading the bride with a choreographed song from "The Little
Mermaid" in frog and lobster costumes."

I do agree that some couple go way too far when planning these performances. But I don't think there's anything wrong with adding a certain amount of creativity to a wedding reception. Incorporating unique elements can lead to a fun event for guests as well as the bride and groom...and make the day a truly "special" one for all involved.

I also think her logic is a bit misplaced when it comes to destination weddings. Ms. Hart feels these represent another "'all about me' trend." While certainly some couple may be misguided in asking all of their guests to travel for these weddings, I think this rising trend also results from the fact that brides and grooms today less often come from the same hometown and sometimes neither lives there. With the majority of guests travelling anyway, they choose a dream location for the event. Still other couples choose a destination wedding and limit their guest list to a small group of family and friends--sometimes saving money over a large hometown wedding.

In another look at spoiled brides, check out Emily Yoffe's "The Bride From Hell" on Slate.

And my parting words of advice to couples: do not ever tell your guests what color clothes they can wear to your wedding.

Personalize your wedding: Put a stamp on it

Every bride wants her wedding to be special—but to guests, most weddings seem “cookie cutter.” The ceremony, the unity candle, the rice throw, the first dance, the cake cutting…if you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it a hundred times. But you can add special touches to your wedding that will make it personal and memorable and still incorporate important traditions.

Put a stamp on it

Business events often have their own brands, so why not your wedding? Create a “logo” for the big day and use it on your invitations, programs, menu cards and even your cake topper. You could design a monogram using your combined new initials, your first names or simply your new last initial. Or choose an element from your event’s theme or feel. For instance, if you’re getting married in a garden, select a flower or a butterfly for your signature stamp.

Don’t think you have the skill to pull this off? You can create a very nice logo using word processing software. Play around with fonts and text boxes to design a monogram, or search for free clip art for images. Also, ask a talented friend to help out—a great way for them to contribute to your wedding. If you have the budget, you can hire someone to handle the design and also incorporate it into other elements of your wedding.