Wedding Trends That Take The Cake

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest “get-together” holidays, and since your family may already be celebrating, why not consider making it your wedding day? It’s the perfect occasion for an elegant, yet relaxed celebration, because autumn offers natural, simple décor and great, inexpensive comfort foods. Consider using these creative tips to plan your Thanksgiving–wedding style!

Flowers and Décor:

Since this time of year is naturally beautiful, lean on Mother Nature for your decorations, and choose warm wedding and reception colors.

• Incorporate reds, rusts, oranges, yellows, browns, gold, cream, wine, and burgundy into the theme of your wedding. They are rich, deep and warm–and very inviting.
• Choose table runners that accentuate the colors of the wedding.
• Dim the lights to foster the “at home” feeling.
• For centerpieces, lay a few leaves around the table.
• Use fall flowers like mums, yarrow, daises, and roses, dahlias, lilies, yarrow, orchids, hydrangeas, sunflowers, baby’s breath, colored leaves, to create decorations and bouquets.pheasant feathers, tallow berries, and dried wheat to your bridal bouquets and decorations to complete the autumn look.
• Group gourds and pumpkins around the room. Remember, pumpkins are not only orange. You can find white and blueish ones, as well.
• Carve out pumpkins and put votive candles inside.
• Use leaf or pumpkin shaped floating candles in a bowl placed on a autumn decorated plate.
• Lay out seasonal fruits sprayed with a golden sparkle on gold plates with votive candles randomly placed on top.
• Fill cornucopias with seasonal produce and plants.
• Create a white candle arrangement mixed with cinnamon sticks tied with fall colored ribbons.
• Create a posh Thanksgiving ambiance by draping lush velvet throughout your party space.

The Meal:

The Thanksgiving wedding meal should be pretty easy. There’s no need to try to be creative since many guests look forward to turkey with all the trimmings.

You might also consider serving:

• Warm apple cider or mulled wine for a seasonal flavor
• Soup in a hallowed out pumpkin is unique and festive
• Desserts such as pumpkin pie or a baked apple desert–or even a tiered pumpkin pie!

Tip: Consider incorporating your family recipes into your wedding menu, and serving the meal family style.

Attire:

Dress for you Thanksgiving wedding can be either casual or formal.

• Choose a wedding dress in off white or cream with gold beading or leafy embroidery.
• Consider wearing a warm shawl to cover your shoulders since the weather will be cool.
• Choose fall colors in a warm material for bridesmaid dresses. You may also want to consider long sleeves.
• Tan, beige, or brown tuxes with ties that match the bridesmaids fall color dresses will work well for the groomsmen.

Favors:

• Make homemade goodies like fudge, candy apples, or jams and present them in festive packaging.
• Fill mini burlap bags with coffee beans, bulbs, or other treats. Use a label with your monogram or wedding date and secure with a ribbon.
• Give miniature bottles of maple syrup as a sweet treat.
• Fill miniature wood crates lined with straw with goodies for a rustic touch.

Invitations and Stationery:

• Send out save the date cards as soon as possible since your wedding will fall on a holiday weekend.
• Dress up ordinary wedding invitations and wedding with inexpensive silk fall leaves included in each mailing.
• Emboss off white or ivory invitations with pressed autumn leaves for a beautiful touch.

For a great selection of Save the Date Cards and Wedding Invitations, visit the Best Little Wedding Shop website.

Lisa Bakewell

Mother of the Groom Duties

Years ago, the mother of the groom showed up to the wedding ceremony looking pretty. Today, as more grooms are becoming involved in the planning, their moms are too. Check with your son and his bride-to-be to see what you might be able to help with. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Make friends. Once the wedding engagement is announced, call the bride’s parents to introduce yourself. If they live close by, make plans to get together for a meal or drinks, so you can become acquainted.

Make a list. Create an updated address list of relatives and friends that the bride and groom may want to invite to the wedding. They should be the final judges on who’ll they’ll invite, but having a complete, up-to-date list will make their job easier.

Assist. Offer to help the bride and groom search for the perfect reception site, if requested. You may also want to get references from the bride’s relatives and friends for catering services, photographers, DJs/band and florists.

Party. If possible, try to attend the bridal shower.

Consult. You’ll want to check in with the mother of the bride before you buy your dress and follow her lead. You’ll want your dress to compliment hers both in coloring and length.

Make reservations. You’ll want to make hotel reservations for any of your out-of-town friends and family who will be attending the wedding. It’s always a good idea to reserve a block of rooms at a particular hotel as soon as possible.

Make some calls. You’ll want to make phone calls to any guests who haven’t RSVP’d their invitation, so that the bride and groom with have an accurate head count for the reception.

Buy dinner. The parents of the groom, traditionally, are responsible for hosting the rehearsal dinner. It can be a formal or informal affair and can be held at a hall, local restaurant or your home. Be sure to invite the entire wedding party and the parents of the bride and groom. You may also consider inviting any out-of-town guests.

Light a candle. In some ceremonies, the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom light a candle to signify the joining of the two families. You may want to suggest this to your son and his bride-to-be.

Stand in line. Traditionally, the mother of the groom stood between the bride and her mother in the receiving line to make introductions. No matter where you stand, though, you should introduce your friends and relatives to the bride and her parents.

Dance. If there’s a mother/son dance at the reception, be sure that you’re available to participate. Also, ask your son if you can help select the song.

Father of the Groom Duties

Traditionally, the parents of the groom paid for the rehearsal dinner and the liquor. Today, the duties can be a little more varied, so be sure to check in with your son and his bride-to-be to see how you might help. You may want to:

Give advice. Your son may be a little nervous about proposing, so offer your support and suggestions.

Be the welcoming committee. Once the engagement is announced, welcome the bride-to-be. Tell her how pleased that you are that she’ll be joining the family.

Assist. Offer to help with the ceremony and reception planning.

Make arrangements. Offer your help with reservations and travel arrangements for out-of-town family and guests.

Buy dinner. Traditionally, the groom’s family pays for and hosts the rehearsal dinner. This can be a fancy affair or very casual.

Stand in line. Be sure that you’re available to stand in the receiving line after the ceremony.

Buy the booze. Typically, the groom’s family pays for the liquor at the wedding reception.

Maintain control. Make sure that everyone is holding his or her liquor well.

Toast the bride and groom. Be prepared to give a speech welcoming the bride into your family.

Dance. Be available for the mother/father of the groom dance at the reception. Also ask if you’ll be dancing with the bride at some point.

Dad, For speech and toast ideas, visit Speeches.com!

Lisa Bakewell

As the father of the bride, you have some very important roles on the day of your daughter’s wedding. Though your primary job is to be there for support–and to make sure your daughter’s big day goes off without a hitch–other responsibilities might include:

Paying for the wedding. Traditionally, the bride’s family paid for the wedding. Today, though, there are no steadfast rules, so check with your daughter and her husband-to-be about their needs. As soon as your daughter is in a relationship that you suspect will lead to marriage, check your finances and decide how much you are willing and able to pay towards the wedding. Then, subtly make your daughter aware of this figure, so there are no misunderstandings later on.

Playing therapist. Both your daughter and her mother are going to be highly stressed during the planning stages of the wedding, and they may find that they disagree over wedding details. Your job is to be there for moral support and keep emotions under control. Be willing to listen to both parties and encourage them to find a middle ground. And remind mom that, even though a daughter’s wedding is stressful to her, it’s still her daughter’s wedding, and her daughter should have the final say on all details.

Attending events. Many fathers will attend the rehearsal dinner and, generally, will give a speech to the groom. Beyond the rehearsal dinner, though, your daughter may want you to attend other events, as well. Make sure that you ask her about these details well in advance, so you can make sure you don’t have any scheduling conflicts.

Making travel arrangements. The couple may need your help in giving guests directions, chauffeuring before, on and after the wedding day, and booking hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. Make sure that you’re available to help them.

Coordinating schedules. You’ll absolutely want to make sure that you get your daughter to the church on time, but you’ll also want to ensure that the rest of the wedding party does as well. Make sure that you’re aware of everyone’s schedule, and help the bride and groom make sure they all arrive where and when they’re supposed to.

Traveling to the church with your daughter. Traditionally, the father of the bride travels to the wedding site with his daughter. Check with your daughter ahead of time to see if this is what she’d like you to do.

Walking your daughter down the aisle. This is one of the most emotional roles that you’ll play today, dad, so be prepared. You will literally be giving your daughter away to her new husband and his family, and this may be tough for you. Unless you want her to be in floods of tears as she arrives at the ceremony, though, keep the heart-to-heart talk for another time. Today, just give her a hug and tell her she looks beautiful.

Being a good host. Traditionally, the father of the bride greeted guests at the reception and expressed thanks on behalf of the bride and groom for everyone’s attendance. Today, though, anything goes, so make sure that you know what the couple’s wishes are beforehand. But, regardless, make sure to mingle with guests and make introductions, where necessary, during the reception. You may want to escort guests to the door, too, when it’s time to go home.

Making a speech. Traditionally, the father of the bride makes the first of the speeches at the reception. If you’re asked to do this, you may want to welcome the groom into the family and share with your guests some memorable childhood memories of your daughter. At the end of the speech, you’ll want to propose a toast to the happy couple.

Note: For speech help, topics and tips, visit Speech Topics Help for father of the bride speech ideas.

Dancing with your daughter. If the reception has dancing, you’ll want to know ahead of time if–and when–your daughter wants to dance the father-daughter dance. She may want you to cut in toward the end of their first dance, or she may want you to have a full father-daughter dance with a special song selected by her. Just make sure you have clear instructions on when you are supposed to dance and with whom.

Being a diplomat. If you are divorced from the bride’s mother, you’ll want to work hard to put aside any differences and come together for the sake of your daughter. If one or both of you are remarried, you will still co-host the wedding events with the bride’s mother, just be sure to communicate with your daughter to let her know that you’re happy to participate in whatever fashion she’d like you to. Blended families must be cooperative, so when it comes to father of the bride duties, take your daughter’s lead. Most of all, though, get along. Leave the disagreements for another day.

Lisa Bakewell

As the mother of the bride, you probably have mixed feelings about the impending wedding. On one hand, you’re happy that your daughter has found a good mate, but she’s also starting a new phase of her life–which means you’ll be starting a new phase of your own. From the wedding day forward, you and your daughter will have a different relationship, and though it will still be a good one, it’ll be different. With change like that, it makes it hard not to be emotional.

Use these tips to keep yourself focused and your emotions under control: (After all, neither you nor your daughter needs added stress right now!)

Follow your daughter’s lead. Promise yourself that you’ll abide by your daughter’s wishes, and you won’t “steamroll” her with your ideas about “her” perfect wedding. Know the difference between making suggestions and forcing your opinion. Be gentle with your guidance.

Offer your help. When you’re asked to do anything, be quick to respond and diligent. You’ll want to set the tone, right away, that you’re easy to work with and dependable. Let your daughter know what you’d like to be involved with (tastings, fittings, planning meetings, etc.), but respect her wishes if she declines your offer. Also, be ready with address information when your daughter comes to you with her guest list.

Offer your talents. Let your daughter and her groom-to-be know what your talents are, and which you’d like to offer. Your expertise may save them time and money. But, again, don’t be offended if they decline. Let them make the decisions that affect their big day.

Welcome the groom and his family. Find ways to welcome he and his family into yours. How about offering to host a dinner party? You don’t have to be best friends, but you’ll want to let the groom and his family know that they’re welcome.

Help relieve your daughter’s stress. A day at the spa or a nice meal where wedding talk is off limits will allow your daughter some relief from wedding stresses and will help nurture your relationship with her. 

Keep your own stress in check. Don’t be afraid of the change that’s coming to your family. It’s tough to face change–especially if your daughter will be moving away–but your stress may make you behave badly and might hurt your relationship with your daughter. Consider keeping a journal of your fears instead of voicing them.

Buy your dress. Start looking for dresses months before the big day, so your chances of finding the perfect dress is doable. Choose a style and color that works best with your figure and coloring, but make it comfortable! You’ll be spending a lot of time in this dress. Also, consider what your daughter and her bridesmaids are wearing. You won’t want the color of your dress to clash with theirs. Most importantly, before you purchase the dress, make sure your daughter gives her stamp of approval. After all, it’s her big day!

Mom: A nice gift of Personalized Stationery will help you and your daughter keep in touch after the wedding.

Lisa Bakewell