Favorite Wedding Movie Moments

Over at IDoSugar, BuzzSugar posted her top five wedding moments from the big screen last week, including Princess Bride, Coming to America, Sixteen Candles, Father of the Bride and this great scene from Love Actually:



Take a look at her list and tell me, what other movies feature your favorite wedding scenes? Personally, I am a fan of Sweet Home Alabama, with its super fancy botched ceremony ending in a punch followed by the down home reception at the bar. . .and the happy couple arriving in handcuffs.

Comment below and share your favorites!

Area couple on Friday night's "My Big Redneck Wedding"

Tune into CMT tomorrow night at 9 p.m. for the season finale of "My Big Redneck Wedding." The episode features a Westmoreland County couple, Kelli and Ron, who get married at a demolition derby.

If you haven't seen the show before, it features somewhat outrageous, rural weddings--no doubt made more outrageous with the assistance of the TV network. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Kelli and Ron were planning a justice of the peace wedding before CMT contacted them for the show after hearing Ron suggest his demolition derby idea on a radio talk show.

Tune in Friday and then stop back to share your comments about the show.

Bridal competition, right here in Pittsburgh

If you happened to walk by PPG Place downtown yesterday, you might have seen a couple dozen brides in wedding gowns stuffing their faces with wedding cake and "champagne."

CoverGirl hosted a competition for 22 brides-to-be, who raced through a wedding-themed obstacle course that challenged the durability of the company's Outlast makeup collection. The women donned wedding dresses over their street clothes and chowed down on a piece of wedding cake and a glass of apple juice to win the prize. Read more and watch the video at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Quiz: How Pittsburgh is your wedding?

Head over to the Perfect Memories Facebook page to test yourself on our new quiz, "How Pittsburgh is your wedding?" This slightly tongue-in-cheek quiz tests your knowledge and love of the most popular Pittsburgh wedding traditions. Find out what kind of Pittsburgh bride you are!

To take the quiz, visit our Facebook page and click on the link in the discussion board. Have fun!

A special first dance: Dirty Dancing style

Choreographed first dances have become quite a wedding trend lately, and truthfully I love them. It's unexpected and memorable for both the couple and the guests. Spend a few minutes on You Tube and you'll find a ton of examples. I may do a future post sharing more of my favorites, but today I want to show you this gem all the way from the UK:



This made me think of one of my college roommates who's always said she wants to do this dance at her wedding one day (but with Patrick Swayze, not her own husband!). Perhaps this will inspire her to actually do it.

Sidenote: I love, love, love that wedding dress!

Fab 5: Groom's cakes for every personality

A Southern tradition, groom's cakes have recently become very popular in Western Pennsylvania and across the county. Brides present the cake as a gift to their groom, and usually choose a design that fits their new husbands' personalities. The cake itself is typically richer than the wedding cake--choosing a chocolate groom's cake, for instance, can provide a flavor option for your guests if you're serving a white wedding cake. Though typically served at the reception, you could also use the groom's cake as dessert at the rehearsal dinner, or even a Sunday brunch.

While groom's cakes certainly aren't a necessary component, I love the fun designs and options available. It's also a great way to reward your guy with a little bit of his personality, after a year of putting up with wedding planning. And so here are five creative groom's cakes, each fit for a different kind of guy.

1. The Poker Player
   
   He's got the guys over every weekend for some Texas Hold 'Em, so why not present him with a cake fashioned after his favorite game? This miniature poker table cake is complete with the playing cards and poker chips.
   Image from Hot Breads & Cakes
   
   
2. The Gamer
   
   If your groom's always glued to latest video games, serve up a cake shaped after his favorite game system. This XBox 360 cake (pictured for use at an XBox anniversary party) looks real enough to play.
   Image from IGN
   
   
3. The Car Nut
   
   Your groom's the kind of guy who spends his weekends under the hood, and never misses a Nascar race. Give him a cake designed to look like his favorite classic or race car.
   Image from Cakes by Sam
   
   
4. The Partier
   
   His favorite pastime is, well, drinking. He links to hang out with the guys at the bar, tailgate before football games and relax with a cold one in front of the TV. Get him a cake that looks like a can or bottle of his favorite brew.
   Image from Cakes by Graham
   
   
5. The Sports Fan
   
   He lives and dies with his favorite sports team, so get him a cake that shows his passion: a football helmet, hockey puck, baseball and glove or college mascot will do the trick. This Terrible Towel cake was originally designed for a birthday, but would be a great Steelers groom's cake as well.
   Image from Cake It or Leave It
   

You might be interested in:
The Ultimate Wedding Planner & Guide:
Everything the happy couple needs to plan their wedding with ease!
Compiled and written by a bride, this e-book includes ideas, wedding guest list, budget & checklist, contact list, reception ideas, gift list and more!

Kids say the darndest things: Marriage edition

Thanks to Mrs. Onion at Weddingbee for sharing this wonderful story at Divine Caroline, about kids views on love and marriage. Definitely read it for a chuckle!

A few of my favorites:

How would you make your marriage work?
"Tell your wife she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck."
Ricky, age 10

How can you tell if two people are married?
"You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids."
Derrick, age 8

How do you decide whom to marry?
"No person really decides before they grow up who they are going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with."
Kristen, age 10

Wedding vows a la Dr. Seuss

Polka Dot Bride posted last week wedding vows written by Marty Blase in the fashion of a Dr. Seuss book. I love the whimsical lightness of these lyrical vows. . .though you'll notice that all of the serious stuff in traditional vows is still in there. Imagine how entertained you would be as a guest if the couple exchanged vows like these.

A snippet:

Pastor: Will you answer me right now
These questions, as your wedding
vow?
Groom: Yes, I will answer right now
Your questions as my wedding
vow.
Pastor: Will you take her as your wife?
Will you love her all your
life?
Groom: Yes, I'll take her as my wife,
Yes, I'll love her all my
life.
Pastor: Will you have, and also hold
Just as you have at this time
told?
Groom: Yes, I will have, and I will hold
Just as I have at this time
told,
Yes, I will love her all my life
As I now take her as my wife. .
.

You can read the entire vows here. I do think it's a little bit long, especially since this is just the groom's part. Maybe you could mix in the bride's vows as well, so there's a back and forth between the officiant, bride and groom.

Obviously vows like this will only work for certain couples. You need to be okay with being lighthearted during a ceremony celebrating a very serious commitment (Marty's bride actually vetoed this idea, so they didn't even use them). And what makes it is the quick-paced banter, just like a Dr. Seuss book, so you'll need to be comfortable with performing in front of your guests--and confident in your memory skills. Even so, any bride or groom is subject to an emotional memory lapse when they're reciting their vows, so a cheat sheet is definitely a must.

Fab 5: Halloween Edition

In honor of Halloween this week, I searched the Web for five fun photos for Halloween weddings.

1. Masquerade Ball
   
   Keep it formal and classy with gorgeous masks for the bride and groom. You can provide less expensive simple versions for your guests as favors.
   Image from Inside Weddings
   
   
2. Wedding Pumpkin
   
   Add a glow to your decor with a pumpkin carved with a custom image of your wedding. This one features the silhouette of a bride and groom, but you could also carve your monogram or a portrait of the two of you.
   Image from Yankee Halloween
   
   
3. Spooky Wedding Cake
   
   How cool is this cake? Be playful with your wedding cake and add some Halloween whimsy to your reception. I love this design, inspired by Nightmare Before Christmas.
   Image from gnyc.net, Cake by Let Them Eat Cake
   
   
4. Table Settings
   
   Go all out in Halloween colors--the orange and black pop off the blue linens here--and add in the details. Use a pumpkin as a vase for flower centerpieces.
   Image from The Knot
   
   
5. Costumed Guests
   
   Invite your guests to dress up for the affair. Make it optional, but anticipate a lot of fun and crazy costumes on the dance floor at your reception.
   Image from The Knot
   

Please don't let your wedding drive you crazy

In preparation for the rainy day all of us here in Western Pa. can look forward to tomorrow, I surfed YouTube for some laughs to share. So enjoy this old commercial:



Please, please, please do not go crazy over your invitations...or your flowers, your hair, your attire or any other detail of your wedding day. You just may end up in the insane asylum. . .or in the news for suing your vendors for the damage they have caused.

Check out Mrs. Corn's post today on Weddingbee about how she freaked out about the weather during her rehearsal. . .and how wonderful the wedding turned out. Yeah for her sister and in-laws for calming her down and putting it into perspective.

I know we get caught up in all of the details and effort that go into making weddings such special affairs, but remember that what really makes weddings special is the love of a new wife and husband. Things will go wrong (at my own wedding, the officiant mispronounced our last name--twice), but they will not matter. You will be married, and that in itself is absolute perfection.

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.