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!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
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.
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!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
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”
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!
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!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
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.
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!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, June 18, 2010
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!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/15/most-bridesmaids-record-b_n_613051.html
Happy Bridesmaiding!
Friday, April 23, 2010
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!
Happy Bridesmaiding!
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