Tuxedo Dog Collar – Dress Your Pooch in Style – Perfect for Weddings

This adorable dog collar is perfect for dressing up your canine for the wedding day. A black satin band ties around the dog’s neck. The collar is adjustable and fits necks 7-16 inches. The front shows off a black satin bow with black and white button

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Worst Wedding Dresses

How often is it that the bride’s dress sets the tone of the wedding? Is it not the one thing you’ll remember from the event more than anything else? More often than not, the rest of the wedding decorations revolve around the style and theme of the dress. In a way, the bride’s wedding dress represents her ideals. Some women have dreamed about their wedding dress since they were toddlers. Other women apparently don’t care at all, which would explain most of the atrocities you are about to witness. Just how do you choose a bridesmaid dress?

Some you most likely have seen before, but others I dug a little bit to find. It was challenging to only pick 25 dresses though because of the plethora of horrible designs out there, but I pulled through after wiping the blood from my eyes. I actually had to stop myself at some point because I realized there was a never ending supply of bad dresses. And no, I didn’t put in the pregnant African American girl because she’s wearing a prom dress. Thanks to www.uglydress.com for many of the dresses.

I’m not sure what this looks like more: a electronic device for…um…massage or… Well, it looks like that and nothing else. Sorry.

Is Napoleon in the building?

It’s worth mentioning that this one is made out of thousands of condoms stitched together. So they are ready for the wedding night and how!

In case you couldn’t tell, this one is made out of newspaper.

A slutty wedding for all! I bet the bra can be removed for the topless wedding you always dreamed of.

At least the bridal shower streamers were put to good use after the party.

I would run if I saw this coming down the isle toward me.

I would run screaming if I saw this coming down the isle toward me.

This will hopefully stay in the window…forever, as a warning to all brides-to-be. Yellow is not a good color on a wedding dress.

Let’s hope this is for an indoor wedding or else the bride will also be wearing a beard made of bees.

This “dress” is more for the stripper the night before. Good luck, buddy, she seems the stay-at-home type.

Words do not do this picture justice. Just try to look away. Now imagine if she she jumped.

Nurse, oh nurse. Can you please pull the plug on this wedding dress.

Two outfits in one: a wedding dress and a straight jacket. Lovely.

As ugly as the wedding dress is, the head ornament is a nice distraction. Don’t poke an eye out with that.

Here are some from www.uglydress.com

And now the one you’ve all been waiting for…

The Truth About Bridesmaids Dresses

“You will be able to wear it again”.

One of the biggest lies ever told about bridesmaids’ dresses.  This tall tale has been passed on for ages and the time has come to put an end to it.  It can be said that just about any woman, aged 30 and under,  has had  in her possession at least two bridesmaid’s dresses hanging in a dark corner, way in back of her closet.   And what about the matching shoes?  Let’s not even go there!   In the past, especially up until the mid 80’s, bridesmaids dresses were easily recognized, due to their pastel colors, huge bows on the butt, shiny fabrics and profusion of lace oozing from every sleeve, collar and hem.  We challenge these women to get up the nerve to wear these one-time wonders to any other function without feeling the least bit self-conscious.  Yes, bridemaid’s dresses have evolved over the years; and most now can be described as being in some kind of in-between “style limbo“…not quite looking like a bridemaid’s  dress, but still not something to be worn to any other important function.  This is especially true if the bride’s circle of friends is small, and attend many of the same social events.   Who wants to risk being seen in the same get-up?

The cold hard fact is this:  No matter what she may tell you, bridesmaids dresses are more often than not, chosen by the bride and selected with only one day in mind:  Her wedding day.  This is hardwired into her bridal subconscious.   She is unable to help herself, and so should be forgiven. Sure, she may feel guilty about the cost, but usually not at the expense of giving up her dream wedding ideas.   Any potential bridesmaid should be aware of this, and if the request is reasonable enough, be prepared to “suck it up”.

However, this doesn’t leave the bride “off the hook” completely.  She should be sensitive enough to consider each attendant’s best features, and choose colors, styles and fabrics that complement them as a whole.  It may also be a wise move for the bride to organize a meeting and have a civilized group discussion prior to selection.  Fabric swatches and a variety of styles should be made available for study; and if there are any out-of-town attendants, samples and photos should also be dispatched to them as quickly as possible.   In this way, a consensus can be made.

Let’s face it:  In all honesty, the odds of wearing these dresses again are most likely slim to none.   However, the fun and hilarity that goes along with the dress selection process can create memories that will last a lifetime; and  that for entertainment value alone, history will eventually show that it was  a couple hundred of dollars well spent.  Don’t believe me?  Go back and take a look at your mother’s wedding album.

4 Crazy Weddings Ideas for the Hopelessly In Love

Your wedding should reflect you and your future spouse, right? While most couples take this to mean choosing between a traditional or a modern wedding, others take their weddings to the extreme.

After all, it’s your day; why not make it your own?

Here are four crazy wedding ideas for the hopelessly in love.

1. Get Married and Cross Something off Your ‘Bucket List’ at the Same Time

Have you ever wanted to go sky diving? Scuba diving? Bungee jumping? Parasailing? Rock climbing? Surfing? Skiing? If there’s something you’ve both always wanted to do, now is the time. Your wedding day only happens once and the sky’s the limit.  Couples have said their vows underwater, free falling from the sky, and on the side of a mountain. No matter what you’ve both always wanted to do, there’s a way to make it happen as part of your wedding ceremonies.

2. Get Married at an Extreme Location

Is there a special place where you both met? How about a place that you’ve always wanted to go? Whether you’re looking to get married in Italy or you’re thinking about getting married at SXSW (it recently ended but you can still plan for next year), get creative with your partner and dream big.

There’s no reason you should settle for anything less.

Get married on a boat, on an island, in a foreign country, or at a live event to make even more memories that you’ll never forget.

3. Have a Themed Wedding that Matches Your Interests

Themed weddings may seem like a silly idea to those who want a traditional church wedding- but for those hopelessly in love that share the same passions, a themed wedding might be just what you need.

Are you both comic book geeks? Have a comic-themed wedding and enforce a costume-only dress code. Are you foodies? Plan an extreme tasting menu for you and your guests. If you’re both wine aficionados, research local wineries. Photographers can rent a photo booth or decorate their reception hall with shots they’ve taken. Have a sports-themed wedding outside (or in) your favorite venue. Dog lovers can even have their dogs be in the wedding party. Ask yourself what you love to do together, and use that as a springboard for personalizing your wedding.

4. Use Romance as Your Inspiration

Host a fairy-tale wedding, complete with tiaras and rose petals. Recreate a favorite old movie scene. Go horseback riding on the beach at sunset. Invite your guests to a tropical paradise for your wedding. Start by discussing what you both picture when you say the word “romance” and go from there. Do you see an intimate candlelit dinner? How about a picnic near a waterfall?

Do you picture you both languishing with an umbrella drink in side-by-side hammocks?

Even if he sees a cozy cabin and you see candlelight, you can easily combine these two aesthetics so you’ll both have the romantic wedding of your dreams.

There’s no reason you need to follow every wedding rule and tradition in the book. It’s your day, so make it something that you’ll like, with memories you’ll always cherish. Forget what everyone else wants. So what if your family is pushing for a big church wedding? If you want something small and intimate on the beach, do it.

As long as you’re pleasing yourself and your future spouse, it’s sure to be the wedding of a lifetime.

Related articles

• Reflections on the Royal Wedding (fathomlessmystery.wordpress.com)
• The Royal Wedding Snob (lapiskamay.wordpress.com)

Stay Unique – Make your Own Wedding Dress

Shopping for the right wedding dress can be a painful experience and after you have seen six or seven it may feel like you have seen them all. Your wedding day is probably one of the biggest days in your life and you want to look and feel amazing. If you wish for something special and tailored to your personal taste then why not have your own work of art created?

When choosing the fabric for your wedding dress think about, style, design structure and comfort. There is a big difference between buying a dress from a retailer and choosing the material that is tailored towards your personality and exclusive taste.

It maybe that you are one for sticking to the tradition and opt for a white silk/ ivory dress that screams white wedding. However there are various materials around that would make your dress extra special and unique. This is your big day and if you want to make a statement then think about fabrics and colour.

Smooth Lurex Dupion

A luxurious fabric which contains 39% Lurex to make it easier to work with. It would be perfect for the most structured and slim fitting dress. The finish of this silk has a slight glimmer that really catches the light with the main colours being ivory and dark ivory.

Lurex Organza

This is a very fine, sheer and light fabric that provides a fairytale glimmer.  It is made from 64% Lurex 36% silk and is perfect for overlays, veils, trains and the trimming of full skirts.

Lurex Taffeta

This is a rough cut, traditional fabric that would be suitable for a big dress and structured styles as it is quite heavy. If you are looking for the ball room gown style wedding dress then this choice of fabric would be right for you. It has a slight shimmer that provides an edge of difference without being too over the top. It is is 64% Lurex and 36% silk.

Spot Embroidered Organza

If you are looking to add a little variety to your wedding dress this embroidered, 100% silk, definitely gives you originality. The silk has been finished will embroidered spots to simply give a cute and elegant touch.

This fabric would be perfect for the Basque of a wedding dress as it provides eye catching detail but it doesn’t want to be over used as it could overkill the final look of your dress. A little detail is more effective than masses.

Sparkling Organza

A stunning and ever so elegant silk that really captures attention

If you are planning a Christmas wedding or simply love the thought of glimmering as you walk down the aisle then this fabric would be suitable for you. It is finished off with small eye catching sequins which make this fabric unique. With being 100% silk, the fabric would be perfect for the overlay on the tail of your dress.

Your wedding day is special and you should take certain factors into consideration before jumping straight in with the first idea. If you are never too sure then take a couple of friends with you and look through the sample books.

This short guide was brought to you by James Hare, specialists in silk fashion and designer fabrics.

Related articles

• Young at Heart: Weddings for Young People (weddingsetups.com)
• Plus Size Wedding Dress Sites Any Bride Will Love (verybestsites.com)
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Profile of a Halloween Wedding

This is going to be a snark-free post – just so you know.  If you want the customary snark, toddle on over to the weird laws site because we’ve been plenty snarky on that one lately.

Last year I was honored to attend an unconventional kind of wedding.  In fact, my hubs was part of the wedding party.  The wedding took place on Halloween, and I decided that since the happy couple’s one year anniversary approacheth, that that I would not only tell you about the happy day, I’d let the bride do it.  Megan was nice enough to answer some questions for me and send me some photos, so enjoy!

1.  What made you choose Halloween as your wedding date?

I absolutely adore Halloween! It has always been my favorite holiday. The dressing up, the scary decorations, the fall weather and of course, fall foods, like sweet potatoes! My daughters are the same way and dressing up is just plain fun! You can be all the things that aren’t “real” the other 364 days of the year.  And everyone knows Jamie loves anything dark and gory! Add to that our family’s love of anything macabre and you get the perfect day for our wedding. Not to mention it is an easy date for the groom to remember! The movie “The Corpse Bride” sealed the deal, it was the inspiration for the whole thing.

2.  Who did you choose to officiate your ceremony, and how did you know him/her?

Leighton Paquette preformed the ceremony. My aunt introduced him to us. The amazing thing was, I really only got to talk to him a couple of times. Maybe the longest conversation was an hour. And yet he nailed it. Jamie and I aren’t your typical couple. We’re square pegs trying to fit into a world of round holes. And Leighton got that. It wasn’t your typical stuffy or religious ceremony, it was ours and it was perfect. He said let him know if you have any questions for him. However,he wasn’t licensed to make it legal so another friend of the family who is filled out our marriage license.

3.  What was the significance of having your wedding on Halloween?

LOL we got to dress up and be yet ourselves and for once no one gave us strange looks for it. I’ve always felt like Halloween is an opportunity for those of us who are a little…..out there, to be truly free of society’s expectations for one night.

4.  What did you choose as your attire for the wedding and why?

I wanted to go with something fairy like but without dealing with wings. My mother, Debbie deTreville, is a wonderful seamstress, and she and my step-father, Jason Allen, designed a beautiful dress just by listening to me babble about a few I had seen that I liked. I wanted fairy-tale without the poofy Cinderella dress. It was a beautiful royal purple with iridescent wing like pieces attached at the upper arms and wrists. They both worked incredibly hard until the wee hours of the morning to get everything completed on time. They also did almost all of the decorations and all of the flowers. Jason (Jae) also carved several exquisite pumpkins to grace the tables.

5.  What did the groom choose as his attire for the wedding and why?

Jamie wore a black suit and red shirt and black top hat with a skull topped cane. He chose that mainly because I wouldn’t let him wear jeans and the “tuxedo t-shit”. However, he looked wonderful in it. He picked it all out himself and I have to say, his taste was fabulous.

6.  What were your instructions to your wedding party as to how they should dress?

We told them to wear whatever costume they wanted only to keep in mind there would be children in attendance. As lond as no one dressed like a bride or groom we were fine with it. We ended up with 2 Greek goddesses, a Renaissance princess, and a disco diva as bridesmaids, and a bodyguard, a convict, a pirate and Einstein as groomsman. Our oldest Samantha was a perfect little fairy flower-girl and the younger one, Jessica, was a spooky skeleton fairy ring bearer, which was all their idea and matched their personalities. My grandfather gave me away as Grandpa Munster aka Dracula. It was all so perfect!

7.  What were your requests/suggestions to your wedding guests as to how they should dress?

We asked everyone to either choose a costume or to wear something afternoon wedding appropriate. We did however, ask that everyone be respectful of the children who would be in attendance and not wear anything too scary or risky. As it turned out, everyone who turned up was in  costume except a couple grandparents who wore church clothes, and with the rest of the costumes floating around, they looked like it was a purposeful Halloween choice.

8.  What type of music did you choose for the reception?

A very eclectic mix spun out by my dad, Kevin Carter who also helped my Aunt Kerstan with photos. we tried to stick with classic rock and roll and a few Halloween themed songs. Since it was a pretty neutral ground for me and Jamie.

9.  What was your first dance song and why?

“Always with me Always with you” by Joe Satriani.

Jamie introduced that song to me early in our relationship and it just became our song. He even used to play parts from it for me on the guitar.

10.  After one year of wedded bliss, how do you plan to celebrate your anniversary?

Maybe with a night out just the two of us….that’s a rare enough occurrence. Trick-or-Treating with the kids will top off our weekend.

Thank you, Megan, for telling us about your special day, and for letting our readers know that it’s fine to be yourself and do what YOU want to do on your wedding day.

Related articles

• How to Choose a Wedding Theme (weddingsetups.com)
• Traditional wedding ceremony of ethnic minority in northern Vietnam (lookatvietnam.com)
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• Top 10 Posts from 2010, Continued (budgetawedding.com)

More Theme Wedding Madness

It is a relief to see  that there are some people out there who just don’t give a darn how they look.  Not even on their wedding day.

I guess that’s not fair.  They DO care how they look, they just choose to look like a cartoon character or superhero.  Sure.  Why not?  I mean, if you’re going to do it, do it right.  Make sure people remember it.  Make sure, for instance, that they remember that you came to your wedding dressed as Wonder Woman, and that your groom dressed like Batman.

Holy Are-You-Kidding Me, Batman!

Lucky for these folks, both Batman and Wonder Woman were  part of Justice League of America in The Brave and the Bold #28, otherwise we’d take issue.  We already have to overlook the fact that these wackadoos were attended by Robin (that’s OK), the Joker (WTF?), Yoda (Come on, now), The Incredibles (Really?), Iron Man, Poison Ivy, and The Incredible Hulk (MARVEL COMICS, HELLO?!?!?!)   The bridesmaids came dressed in PowerPuff Girls costumes.  Oh, the humanity.  Step all over those of who who LIKE comic books, why don’t you?

Or, take these folks, who decided to kick it old, old, old, old school.

Yabba Dabba...oh whatever.

They actually said, “I yabba dabba do” in their vows.  Oh the sweet injustice of it all.  At least these people were purist.  The bride was attended by Betty Rubble, Barney Rubble stood up as best man, the children attendants were dressed as Bamm-Bamm, and the guests all dressed as cavemen.  Er, cave people.  My, my.

This one is the real kicker, though.  What would the cleaning bills cost to get all that GREEN PAINT off the wedding dress?

Really?

I get it that you saw Shrek on your first date.  I get that you liked it.  I liked it too.  A lot.  I watch it pretty often still.  But what on earth did your mother say when you told her you wanted to paint yourself completely green and wear fake ears on your wedding day?  Did she cry?  I kind of did, when I heard about this.  And the groom.  He’s 53!  Did he just not give a crap?  And what’s with the clown character in the back?  Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack?

Oh well, right?  As long as they are happy, that is what matters….

Groomzillas

The wedding articles say that over 80% of grooms are at least equal partners in the wedding planning process.  So, of course, the wedding industry is catering to this group of men who have decided to own the wedding planning process.  Is this because average grooms are older than they used to be – and therefore pickier and more set in their ways?  Is it because most couples cohabitate before they marry, meaning they are paying for more of the wedding than they used to?

Whatever the reason, the Internet is full of stories of grooms who became completely caught up in the wedding planning process, and are just as hard to please and soothe as those famous Bridezillas that they like to make television programs about.  So, if you end up with one of these, how do you deal with him?  Well, you have choices.

You can let him have whatever he wants.  Let him control the whole thing.  Let him pick the flowers, the food, the table settings, the cake flavor, and even your dress.  What?  No!

You can test his fortitude.  Is he a real Groomzilla, or is he playing at this?  Take him to a bridal show.  Make him read all the bridal magazines with you.  Completely inundate him with wedding stuff.  He might very well cry uncle.

If he doesn’t?  Then it looks like you’ve got a partner for good.  Enjoy planning this special day with him and realize that if you can’t do this together, you’re probably not going to be very good at living together, raising kids together, and functioning as a couple.  It’s a good litmus test for the rest of your marriage.

Beat The Heat – Summer Wedding Weather Survival

Summer weddings are popular for a number of reasons:  the brilliant sunshine, the ready abundance of flowers and plants, and the overall sense of energy and vibrant life that comes with the season.  These sunny celebrations of love and eternity do present a seemingly inescapable fact of nature: the heat.   Not to be dissuaded; however, countless couples choose to tie the knot outdoors during the summer.

flamehead by Cayusa

Fear not!  Surviving the sweltering temperatures is easily accomplished for both the guests and the bride and groom.  Here are a few simple tips for keeping your cool:

1. If you’re invited to a summer fete, choose a light-colored outfit (avoiding white, of course).  The light colors will help reflect the sun’s rays and keep you cooler than dark colors.  Also, if you wear a dress, avoid long skirts.  Knee length or mid calf skirt will allow for the movement of air without smothering your legs.
2. If you have long hair (bride or guest), wearing your hair up will work wonders to keep your neck and shoulders cool and pleasantly un-sweaty.
3. Stay hydrated.  One of the number one dangers during any summertime celebration is dehydration.  Keep cool beverages on hand.  This can be especially important for the bride and groom, as she is likely to be weigh down under layers of a heavy wedding gown, while he’ll be sporting a fetching (but also heavy) tuxedo.
4. Try to stay in the shade.  Avoiding the direct sunlight can help keep you cool as well as avoiding sunburn.  Sunscreen is a must for outdoor ceremonies.  No one wants a blistering sunburn as their thank-you note for attending.

jasmined - sweaty guy photo

So don’t dread the long ceremony in the sun.  With proper planning and a little common sense, disaster can be avoided and you can cut loose and celebrate with the proper enthusiasm, without worrying about the heat.