Fun Photos on Animoto

You've had an amazing time at the bachelorette party, shower or even the wedding, but what do you do next? Well, if you are anything like me- you were basically the photographer of the event (or paid photographer's shadow at the wedding) and now you have about a zillion pictures to share with everyone. Sure you could upload them to the the plethera of sites out there like Kodak Gallery, Picassa, Snapfish, etc. and they'll obviously go up on Facebook, but have you ever thought of doing something a little different? Taking it one step further?

If the answer is yes- then you should definitely check out Animoto. Animoto takes your pictures (and video clips if you have them) and produces amazing quality videos set to music that look extremely professional, yet it's not difficult to use. To quote their website, it's "Fast, free, and shockingly easy." All you need to get started is your own pictures and an mp3 of the song you want to use. I made an Animoto video last year for Bride #8's bachelorette party, and set it to Lady Gaga's "Just Dance"- one of the songs we rocked out to all night long. (They have stock songs on the site, but you can also provide your own.) I would share that video, but Bride #8 would probably defriend me for life, so instead, I'm going to share the samples from Animoto's website. It's just a fun, different way to share your pictures with everyone, one that your bride is sure to love.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

P.S. Thanks to H in Atlanta, one of my mom's best friends from growing up (and bridesmaid circa 1973) who introduced me to this site. H was always taking pictures of our family vacations growing up and made them into VHS videos accompanies by music. Now that we've entered the digital age, she's taught me about great sites like this!

Cooking Class Bachelorette Parties

For those of you who read the Styles section today, you may have come across this interesting article-- Bachelorette Cooking Parties (Girls Gone Mild!). The article talks about the surge of more mild bachelorette parties that entail cooking classes instead of strip clubs. We did this three years ago for Bride #3, and it was such a hit. I highly reccomend this activity for your more tame brides, who may not be in to taking shots and staying out all night.

We went to Miette's Culinary Studio in the West Village. It was an adorable little kitchen and dining room. We split up in to groups and were all responsible for different courses. It's BYOB, so we were able to keep costs down by picking up a few bottles of Two Buck Chuck, and of course brought some festive bachelorette decorations (i.e. mardi gras beads, penis straws, etc). After we cooked, we were able to relax and enjoy our delicious meal and great company as we were served by Miette's staff, and then they took care of cleaning up. We all got copies of the menu and recipe to take home with us.

You can make this even more fun by making custom aprons for the group. Bride #3's father is in the premiums business, so he made all of us aprons that say "Not milk?" because Groom #3 has a severe lactose allergy. The bride had a special apron that said "Groom #3's Chef". We all had a great time at our custom dinner, enjoy some of the pictures from the night below!

In addition to the places listed in the article, I have also heard really great things about the DJ Chef who comes to you and plays awesome party music while cooking up a storm.

Have you ever done a cooking bachelorette party? Would you? What do you think?

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Charmed, I'm Sure

In 2006, my roommate at the time (aka Bride #7) was in a wedding and the bride’s sisters decided they were going to buy a charm bracelet for the bride and all of the BMs were to buy a charm indicative of their relationship or friendship, or something that reminded them of the bride. I fell in love with this idea instantly.

When the MOH for Bride #2 suggested we do this at her shower, I was totally on board. This time it was a little different, as we all ordered the charms from the same company. The pro? They were all consistent and would fit on the bracelet perfectly. The con? We were limited to the charms at one website. We used the website http://www.mycharmedlife.com/ and were all really happy with the results.

At Bride #2’s shower, instead of doing a poem, or a top ten list, etc as our bridesmaid "presentation"- we got up in front of everyone and presented her with the charm bracelet and why we chose each individual charm. Bride #2 and I were roommates in New York City in our first apartment after college graduation. We lived on 34th Street , so to remember our time living together (and before she moved in with her now husband), I got a charm of the Empire State Building (an iconic New York building, also on 34th Street ). Other charms friends got were our sorority’s mascot, a phone from a long-distance friend, a shopping bag from one of her shopping buddies, an elementary school from her friend from growing up, etc. We even got the moms involved, and her mother-in-law got her both her and her husband’s first initials to include. Other great ideas I know that Bride #7 and her friends did were their college mascot and Big Ben (because they studied abroad in London together.

I think this is such a special gift because it is so one of a kind. No one else will have the same bracelet, and all of the individual charms are so personal and meaningful. This is a gift your bride will cherish for ever. And for SuperBridesmaid’s future bridesmaids (no, I am not engaged-- this is just for the future!), this may be a test to see if you read my posts, as I definitely would love to have one of these. :)

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Bridal Gowns on A Buck

Ok, I know I've blogged about bridal sample sales before, so you are probably scoffing at another one, but this time it's different. I live near the Housing Works Thrift Shop on 23rd Street, and sometimes pop in to take a look. Recently I went in and noticed they have a roped off area in the back filled with gorgeous bridal gowns (and even a few BM dresses!)

So, I did a little research, and sure enough, this is now a permanent fixture and not a seasonal sample sale. They now offer by appointment only service for help with designer gowns. Retail prices range from $100 to $1,000. This is definitely worth checking out for any brides on a budget (or who don't believe in spending oodles on a gown). Check out the press release for details.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Forever And Ever Platter is Great for Showers!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have always loved arts & crafts. There used to be a paint your own pottery place by my old apartment that I loved going to called Our Name is Mud. Now they don't really do paint your own, but rather you can purchase customized pieces (and trust me, they look way better).
While searching for an engagement gift for Bride #8, I recently stumbled across the Forever and Ever Do-It-Yourself platter. I thought this was a great thing to have at showers. All of the guests could sign it and write well wishes to the bride & groom, then they have a great serving platter to use "forever and ever". And for only $42, this won't break the bank either.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Marriage Advice for...

When I was interviewed by WeTV.com’s Dubious bride, I talked about some really fun ways to customize a bachelorette party at a low cost. One of my favorite “free” activities is to give marriage advice in the form of an acrostic poem. You know the kind, you did it as a kid, where you write the letters of a word vertically and then come up with sentences or phrases for each letter.

This can get a little tricky with the name of the bride and groom, so you may have to be a little creative. The goal is for you to have the exact number of letters that you have people attending the bachelorette party (minus the bride of course). What do I mean by that? Well, if you have a lot of people attending you can add their last name? If their first names are really short, you can use the word “and” but if their names are long you can use “&” or “N”. See my example below for Elizabeth and Jeffrey Smith:

7 people: “Liz & Jeff”
10 people: “Liz and Jeff”
13 people: “Liz ‘n Jeff Smith”
16 people: “Elizabeth & Jeffrey”

You pass the piece of paper around a circle (this is great to do while at a restaurant or hanging out pre-gaming) and then end it with the bride and she has to read it out loud. By passing in a circle, everyone goes in order so you don’t have people “calling” letters.

If you are at an elegant brunch, you may want to keep the advice tasteful and write things like “Never go to bed angry” or “Happy Wife, Happy Life”...but when alcohol gets involved, it’s pretty fun to make it a little more X related.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Bridal Gowns-- on SALE?!!!

As I've said before, one of the most important aspects of being a BM is to help your bride plan her big day. Since not every bride wants to appear on "Say Yes to The Dress", help her get a dress the old fashioned way...on SALE!
Starting tomorrow, Saks Fifth Avenue in New York (50th & Fifth), will have 50% off brand new gorgeous wedding gowns. Ladies- this is not your run of the mill sample sale! So from Wednesday, July 28 through Saturday, July 31- RUN (don't walk) to Saks with your bride and help her get a fabulous dress. And hey, all that help may pay off and she won't make you walk down the aisle in a peach frouffy frock.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

It's official. I have now been asked to be in my 8th wedding. SuperBridesmaid almost didn't have a wedding to stand up in for 2010, but thank goodness Bride #8 got in under the wire and will be celebrating her nuptials December 12. (Congrats S&G). She took three of us out to dinner tonight and asked us to stand by her side on her special day, and we also went BM dress shopping at The Wedding Library.

This got me thinking about the fact that I have yet to blog on a such an important part of the BM process-- the dress! I wanted to share some information with everyone on the dresses of my bridesmaid past, and offer some advice on dress shopping.

Wedding #1: We all chose our own long black dresses
Wedding #2: Champagne long Vera Wang, all the same dress
Wedding #3: Chocolate Brown long Amsale, all the same dress
Wedding #4: Navy t-length Jenny Yoo, all the same dress
Wedding #5: Black long Bill Levcoff, all the same dress
Wedding #6: Royal Blue short Lela Rose, got to pick one of three styles
Wedding #7: Navy short Vera Wang, all the same dress

To see pictures of all my dresses, visit Pictures of My Bridesmaid Past, or visit my Facebook page.

I've gone shopping for the dress a few times to help the bride decide and have learned a few lessons- for both the bride and the bridesmaid. In honor of my 8th wedding, here are 8 tips for BM dress shopping:

1. Chances are this dress will never be worn again. Don't pretend it will. Brides- don't try to look for a dress that your BFFs will wear again, because everyone has different taste. Just look for something you'll like in your pictures and you think your friends will not hate you for wearing.
2. BMs- be honest with your opinion, but be open minded. Remember, the decision really comes down to the bride and she has a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Don't make this difficult for her.

3. Brides- consider having your girls all wear dresses of the same fabric, but letting them chose their own style. This way, all BMs can chose the style that best flatters their body type.
4. When ordering, IGNORE the size. BM dress sizes are so different than normal dresses, so don't freak out if all of a sudden you are in double digits. Bigger is ALWAYS Better! (For bride #3, they accidentally ordered me a dress way too small, and it wouldn't zip! I freaked out, took it to the store and since it was their mistake, they had to alter it for me. It took some major reconstruction and a month full of fittings-- yes, fittings for a BM. Everything ended up ok in the end, but it's an easily avoidable situation.)
5. Remember it's only one night of your life, and the night is not about you-- it's about the bride.
6. If you don't love the dress, you can always make yourself feel better by going spray tanning (SuperB has fair sking and doesn't recommend ruining your skin with sun damage!), getting your hair & make up done, fabulous shoes, or gorgeous jewelry. (And if it's really really bad, check out http://www.uglydress.com/ to remind yourself it could be worse).
7. Make sure your dress fits correctly and it's properly altered. The only thing that's worse than an ugly dress is an ugly dress that doesn't fit right. Trust me, it will help you look your best that night.
8. After the wedding, if you know you'll never wear it again, avoid developing a closet like Jane in 27 Dresses. No one has space like that for dresses they'll never wear, especially not in New York City. Instead, consider donating your dress to a charity, there are many that collect prom dresses for girls who can't afford them. Check out local opportunities at inner-city high schools or donatemydress.org, the first national network to bring together local dress drive organizations across the U.S. They'll help you find one in your area. "One man's trash is another man's treasure."

What's your favorite dress that you've worn?

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Bridesmaid Record Broken!

Since I have been a BM so many times, everyone always asks me how many bridesmaids I am going to have. In fact, Bride #5 has mentioned that she's going to be part of my "parade" down the aisle. Well, for those of you who haven't heard, the bridesmaid record was recently just beat in Ohio, and that is one I won't be looking to take over. This woman had 110 bridesmaids! Check it out...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/15/most-bridesmaids-record-b_n_613051.html

Happy Bridesmaiding!

WeTV.com's Dubious Bride gives Customized Bachelorette Party Ideas

SuperBridemaid was recently interviewed by WeTV.'s Dubious Bride on how to customize a Bachelorette party. Click here for the complete article and to read other great posts by The Dubious Bride and The Savvy Mrs.


Happy Bridesmaiding!

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me A Match!

Well, it’s official! SuperBridesmaid has broadened her scope of skills and can now add “matchmaking” to my resume of wedding-related talents. I have my first official successful match, as a couple I set up almost 2 ½ years ago got engaged Sunday night!

In October of 2007, I went to my friend (we’ll call him “D”)’s birthday party. I had known D for about 5 years, but never met his sister, I, until that night. We were in the minority that night, as the party was primarily male-dominated (not that I was complaining), so ended up spending a lot of time chatting. We totally hit it off. The next day, I happened to be talking to one of my best friends, S, and she was telling me a story about one of her closest guy friends, G. I knew G through S, and we both had share houses in Fire Island over the past summer, so we would sometimes hang out there together. Since I had spent some time with G at the bars in Fire Island, he had told me what he was looking for in a girl, and had described his type to me.

As S told me the story about G- an idea popped into my head. I asked her if G would trust me to set him up, because I had met a girl the night before I thought he would like. She asked me about her, and I told her everything I knew about I. S said it sounded like a good idea, and she would talk to G for me. In the mean time, I called D nd said “Is your sister dating anyone?” When he responded that she wasn’t- I said “Even though I only met her briefly, do you think she’d be interested in a a guy I want to set her up with?" D asked me a few questions about the guy in mind, and asked if he had my “seal of approval”. I assured him that he did. So even though I only met I briefly, she was open-minded and trusted her brother, who trusted me.

I gave I’s contact information to G and they immediately hit it off. I can’t explain what made me get the feeling that they would be a good pair. They were the same age, they had gone to the same business school, they were the same religion (important to both), and I just thought that their personalities would mesh. Apparently I was right! Some people even think they look alike, so maybe that was it too.

Whatever my “feeling” was, it worked, and now they are as happy as can be. So, congrats to I and G- and I hope you (and your BMs) will be reading SuperBridesmaid during the wedding planning process!

Happy Bridesmaiding!

PS- D and S deserve some of the credit too! If I hadn’t been friends with both of them, and if they didn’t serve as my “messengers”, this wouldn’t have happened!

Wedding Deals This Weekend!

If you're like me, you have become a recent fan of many of the shopping websites that offer designer discounts for limited periods of time. I know that our inboxes get flooded with these emails every day, but there is a sale this weekend that my BMs (and their brides) can not miss. Gilt Groupe will be partnering with Martha Stewart Weddings this weekend (Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 14) and featuring everything you need for your big day at a discount! They'll also be wedding tips from Darcy Miller, wedding expert. The email (that I rescued from my trash bin after I accidentally deleted it) said: "Get gowns for you, dresses for your bridesmaids, tuxes for your groom, detoxes leading up to the big day, gifts you’ll love to give (and receive) plus exotic honeymoon packages for any couple. Look forward to sales by Temperley London, Thread, Judith Leiber, Vanessa Noel, Lauren Merkin, Prive Salon, Blueprint Cleanse, Tara Pearls, Heather Moore, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman and so many more to make your wedding day an affair to remember."

So, ladies, mark your calendar! This is your opportunity to find a really cute BM dress that won't cost you an arm and a leg. While it's good to let your bride know that she only has limited hours to make the decision and purchase, please remember though not to pressure her. But, this does give you a chance to be your own "SuperBridesmaid" and help your bride get oodles of good deals. Plus, you may even be able to hint at any bridesmaid gifts you like there. The sale starts Friday, March 12 at 12 noon (EST), but you can preview before to scope out the goods. Here's Gilt's sneak peak!

Not a member of Gilt yet? No worries! There's still time to become a member before the "big day" on Friday. A special bonus for SuperBridesmaid fans! Below is a special preview of some of the great deals you can get this weekend.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Carolina Herrera
Sale Starts 3/12
Original Retail: $5790, Gilt: $1999

Carolina Herrera
Sale Starts 3/12
Original Retail: $5790, Gilt: $1999

Thread Made to Order

Sale Starts 3/12

Silk Faille Strapless Notched Bust Liddy Bridesmaid Dress

Original Retail: $305, Gilt: $228.75

Amsale

Sale Starts 3/12

Satin Strapless Ruched Bust Bridesmaid Gown

Original Retail: $330, Gilt: $165

(FYI-SuperBridesmaid wore this dress in brown for Wedding #3)

Amsale
Sale Starts 3/12
Taffeta Strapless Bridesmaid dress

Original Retail: $290, Gilt: $145

Sergio Rossi

Sale Starts 3/17

Original Retail: $770, Gilt: $128

Shower Ribbon Bouquets

A few people have been wondering what I am doing in my “profile picture” listed in the “About Me” section and on my Facebook fan page. In the picture taken by Beth Robyn Photography (by the way, I highly recommend Beth, who is available for weddings, engagement pictures, showers, and other events, etc.) I am constructing a ribbon bouquet for Bride #7.

What’s a ribbon bouquet? Well it’s an old shower tradition to take all of the ribbons used to wrap the bride’s gifts and compile them into either a hat or a bouquet. Personally, I prefer the bouquet because A) it can be used by the bride at her rehearsal to walk down the aisle, B) it’s more wedding appropriate! and C) the hat can look a little silly (but some people like embarrassing the bride).

At the second shower I ever attended (I wasn’t a BM) - the MOH asked for my help because the rest of the BMs were helping unwrap and repack the gifts- and she knew I was artistic and creative. Little did I know back then that this would become my job at almost every shower I attended! Personally, I love having the responsibility. As a BM you usually have to help with the gifts anyway, and I find assembling the ribbon bouquet a lot more fun than unwrapping, re-packing or being on trash patrol!

So how does one create such a masterpiece? Well here are SuperBridesmaid’s tips to make a ribbon bouquet your bride will love!

What to bring from home:

1. Paper Plate
2. Scotch Tape
3. Pair of scissors (it may be helpful to bring an extra pair so that the unwrapping team doesn’t keep stealing yours!)
4. Stapler

Directions

1. Top of plate is back of bouquet, facing you
2. Poke holes in the paper plate
3. Tie ribbon in bows and bring strings through the back
4. If there is ribbon already curled or in a premade bow, you can staple on the plate or just find one string to pull through
5. Try to evenly distribute ribbon you have lots of colors of
6. Fake flowers are great to use- so try to make them prominent
7. Use extra (boring color) ribbon to tie the strings in the back together to make it easy for the bride to hold
8. If you have a lot of ribbons, you can have it trail from the bottom (and even tie together)

Helpful Hints

1. Since you want to finish the bouquet as the bride finishes opening the gifts, you need to work quickly- don’t get distracted by pretty gifts!
2. Grab two chairs- one for you to sit on (a little painful to do standing in stilettos!) and one to hold the pile of the ribbons and bows to use
3. Ask the BMs who are unwrapping the gifts to take the ribbons off first, so you have a big pile and your choice of ribbons
4. If you decide to make the hat, I like to use the tool on Bed, Bath & Beyond wrapping to make a little veil

Below are some pictures of hats and bouquets I have made. Which is your favorite? Do you prefer hats or bouquets?

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Custom Cocktails

What's one of the most important aspects of a bachelorette party? If you answered drinking- you are correct. And what's more fun and festive than having a custom cocktail for your bride-to-be? Here's a chance for you to be creative and use her personality and name to make the drink apropos.

I got this idea from my friend Katie's sister. Katie always signs her name "KT" in e-mails, and her MOH used it at her bachelorete party by serving everyone "K-Tinis." The first time I made a custom cocktail was this past summer at Bride #6's bachelorette prty. Her name is Stephanie, so I served "Stepha-tinis." We bought her a plastic martini glass with a veil, and plain ones for the rest of us. I got a recipe from Work Bride #2 and made a delicious beverage that consisted of Nuvo and champagne. The drink was festively pink and bubbly and got us all off to a good start for the night!

For Bride #7's Bachelorette Party- we did something a little different. Bride #7 used to have an alter-ego in college when she had a few drinks in her. Her friends called her "Lucy" when she got like this, which was short for "Lucifer." For this custom cocktail, we filled a punch bowl with Skip-N-Go-Naked (pink lemonade, cheap beer, and cheap gin) and called it "The Lucy Inducer." After all- it was only appropriate that Lucy reappear on Bride #7's last night out as a single lady. (And no, she did not skip, nor did she go naked that night, but Lucy did come out!)

So my advice is to use your friend's name, personality traits or even future name to come up with a fun drink name. Use her favorite color or just use pink to go with the bachelorette party decorations. And if all else fails, you can always just call it a COCKtail and drink it with fun straws.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Where To Get Supplies

As I prepare for bachelorette parties, I'm always running around the city picking up supplies at different stores, or perusing the Internet looking for the best buys. People at the parties are always asking "where did you find this?" so I figured I would share the wealth.

All New Yorkers know that the back room of Ricky's NYC is a bachelorette party gold mine. As long as you can muster up the courage to venture past the door beads and the "Adults Only" sign- you can find all the ingredients you need to make a successful bachelorette party including name tags, goody bags, penis straws, veils, bachelorette t-shirts and napkins, etc. Ricky's is great, because almost every neighborhood has one, and it's a quick and easy stop. The only con is that Ricky's can be pretty pricey.

Enter Party City. There's only one in the city (14th street between 5th & 6th), but I used to live two blocks away, so that was quite convenient for me. Party City has a lot of the same things; they are just not as "X" rated as some of the things found at Ricky's. You can still find your name tags, veils, bachelorette napkins etc, as well as other necessary party supplies including glow sticks, boas, and Mardi Gras beads. If you need to set a table - Party City is great to pick up utensils, plates, napkins, balloons, crepe paper, table cloths etc in fun colors (which can also be a lot cheaper than the bachelorette napkins, or you can use them as accents). If you have time, you can even order from their website. If you sign up for their e-mail list, you can get coupons to help save you some extra dough. Here's a link to their bachelorette party merchandise, and below are a few of my favorites.

Bachelorette Party Balloons: An easy way to make the event space look festive!

Bachelorette Sash: So everyone knows who the bride to be is (perfect for your BFF who refuses to wear a veil)!

Scratch A Dare Cards: This way everyone can get in on the fun and the crazy activities!

Bride Martini Glass: Give her a special glass and make her a signature drink!

Another great resource for supplies (especially those not in NYC) is an oldie but goodie. Remember how growing up your mom ordered gifts for your birthday party goody bags from the Oriental Trading catalog? Well who knew it's now a great website to order your bachelorette party accessories from? SuperBridesmaid did! Just like Party Cirty, Oriental Trading is a great stop for items like plates, napkins, balloons etc- and is even cheaper. If you sign up for their e-mail list, they always have great offers going on including free shipping and other coupons. They always have great sales going on, and don't just look at the bachelorette items. Check out all areas on the site, I have ordered heart shaped lollypop rings before that were a big hit. Depending on the size of your party, this is a great place to order any candy for your girls' night out, as they have great deals on bulk quantities (since I know many of us don't want to schlep up to the new Costco at 116th st). Here are some of my favorites from Oriental Trading:

Bachelorette Party Pack: An easy set that has everything you need to make the party festive!

Shot glass rings: She’s got the bling, now give her a ring to hold her alcohol!

Mardi Gras beads: Make sure everyone knows you are part of the bachelorette party by giving everyone beads to wear!



What supplies and decorations are your favorites? Any good hiding spots in the city that you've found?
Happy Bridesmaiding!

(Comfortable) Dancing Shoes

Anyone who has been a BM before knows there's a 99% chance that you won't last all night in your heels throughout the wedding reception. I've had this conversation with my mom numerous times. (My mother thinks spending hours in four inch heels is a cinch). I remind her that as a BM- you spend a lot more time in the shoes than your typical wedding guest. First of all, you start way earlier and are in your shoes for pictures and running around doing errands for the bride (fetching water, finding the photographer, keeping early arriving guests far away, etc). Second, while all the other guests are comfortably sitting through the ceremony- you are literally standing up the entire time at the bride's side, rightfully performing your duty as a BM.

So if you were not blessed with my mother's ease in stilettos, like me- you always bring a change of shoes for the party. However, I am always plagued with what to do with my cumbersome flip flops? I've hidden them in the bridal suite, then gotten locked out. I've made mad dashes to the party room to hide them under the table before the ceremony even starts, or made my date carry them in a shopping bag. Not exactly the classiest of moves.

But that will all change for my next wedding, now that I've discovered Rolleez. Rolleez are the answer to a BM's achy feet prayers. They are adorable ballet flats, available in 7 different colors that you can roll up and easily stash in your clutch, since they don't take up a lot of room. No one even knows that you are "packin" an extra pair of shoes. They are absolutely adorable, comfortable and most of all - easy on your wallet! (Plus if it's winter- you don't necessarily want to wear flip flops. No pedicure is required!)

If you are a bride reading this, Rolleez also make an excellent bridesmaid's gift. They come packaged as a gift in a little box with a tote bag. This way you can make sure that all of your BFFs are comfortable and literally have their dancing shoes on. I highly recommend checking them out.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

New York Weddings Event

Any NY bride knows that one of her best resources for wedding planning is New York magazine's New York Weddings, so imagine what a great BM you will be when you give her scoop that they are hosting "the year's biggest bridal shower."

The Spring issue comes out on March 23 (hint, hint--this will make a great thing to pick up as an "OMG! You just got engaged gift!" and their annual New York Weddings Event is taking place Wednesday, April 7 at the Metropolitan Pavilion from 5 PM - 8 PM. This is your chance to help your bride with so much of her wedding planning all in a one-stop-shop. They'll have tons of vendors on hand including photographers, florists, jewelers, bridal gown designers, etc.

Hurry up and buy your tickets ASAP! (There is an incentive for a bride to bring her BMs, as the ticket price is $35 for one, but $50 for two. Plus, they are including a one year subscrption to New York mag!) Have fun and let me know what you thought of the event...

Happy Bridesmaiding!

It's Cookie Time

At the first bridal shower I ever attended, I was not a bridesmaid. I was 23 years old and new to the wedding circuit, but it was where my creativity started to flourish. It was a childhood friend getting married, and I was chipping in for the gift with three other childhood friends. We didn't really understand why someone would want tons of pots, pans and other kitchen goodies- so we wanted to do something a little more special and personal so that she would look at it and think of us.

This was a perfect opportunity to buy her some gifts off the registry- but then add some fun items as well. So we bought her everything she needed to bake off her registry, including cookie sheets, measuring cups, rolling pins, etc. She really appreciated that because it was a lot of little things that people tend to neglect (it's much easier to buy a $40 serving piece then 8 $5 items). Then, we added in some fun cookie cutters (not something you typically buy yourself) and a cookbook dedicated purely to making cookies. Our main gift was a really fun taxi cab cookie jar to keep on her counter.

Why a taxi cab, you ask? Well, the five of us had always taken dance classes together- and always had these crazy outlandish recital costumes. One of our most famous was when the recital's theme was "New York City" and our costume was taxi cab drivers. This way, we knew the bride would always think of her dance class friends when she saw the cookie jar. Having trouble finding a cookie jar in the shape of something that reminds the bride of you? Just try these personalized cookie jars that you can customize with the bride's new name. They make the perfect gift for the bride who loves to bake!

Just click on the pictures above to order the cookie jars.

Happy Bridesmaiding!