A Daily Dose of Weddings

03/02/2011

Whether you're the bride, groom, bridesmaid or mother of the bride, it's important to be in the know about weddings.

TLC Weddings is your source for tips, insights and inspiration for your big day. Advice on wedding stationery? Got it. A glossary of wedding dress silhouettes? We have one. Creative suggestions on reception sites? We've compiled a photo gallery for you! Why this bride and groom are walking on the beach with an elephant? OK, we've got no idea. Maybe they were inspired by Nicole Richie's wedding?

Get a daily dose of TLC Weddings on Facebook. We'll get you talking with industry pros and other brides to help you make your wedding day the event you've been envisioning!

Photo credit: Hemera/Thinkstock

What Dress Kate Middleton Will Wear Down the Aisle

11/30/2010

Ever since Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement, there have been plenty of speculations about the royal wedding. Two of our favorite rumors are that Elton John will perform at the ceremony and that a live broadcast of the wedding will be featured in 3-D at theaters around the world. And who knows? Both rumors could turn out to be true! (If that's the case, we advise buying your tickets to the greatest show on Earth right now.)

Currently, the biggest buzz is about which designer will create Kate's wedding gown. Vogue UK thinks it will be Bruce Oldfield, who's dressed everyone from the late Princess Diana to Sienna Miller. Others say Phillipa Lepley is a stronger contender, or even Elizabeth Emanuel, who co-designed Diana's wedding gown for her 1981 ceremony. And a few are pulling for the house of Alexander McQueen, where Sarah Burton is now lead designer. McQueen committed suicide last February, and the beloved British designer is being worn on more red carpets than ever as an in memoriam fashion gesture.

A few factors to keep in mind for any bride choosing her gown are:

• the season
• the wedding budget
• the venue
• the time of day

Kate's planning a late April wedding on the 29th, so she'll be looking for light, spring fabrics. The couple's chosen venue is Westminster Abbey, so she'll need something formal to fill the space -- and she can't go too whimsical or casual because the wedding is such a big deal. No matter the time of day, Kate will need a dress that's incredibly elegant and regal. And depending on any etiquette codes the venue may have, Kate's dress of choice might be more modest than we're anticipating -- perhaps with sleeves, a high neckline, fully covered back.

A few other considerations? Patriotism and economic mindfulness. Now, most brides won't have to concern themselves with these factors, but the future queen will. Kate will likely choose a British designer, and she'll temper her choice to match the current economic climate (which is drab).

When Diana married Charles, she wore an extravagant dress with a 25-food train and a $115,000 price tag. That figure -- adjusted for inflation -- would amount to $276,697 in 2010. Will Kate spend that much?

What's for sure is that she won't go for Diana's aesthetic. That dress was totally '80s with its puffy sleeves, ruffles and piles of lace. Kate's everyday and special events style has shown that she favors sleek lines, body-hugging Grecian drapes and clean patterns on her slim, 5'10 frame. Yet, as a former accessories buyer, she's no stranger to the fashion world.

Google Kate Middleton, and you'll find plenty of photos of the beauty in outlandish hats. We think the REAL question shouldn't be about the dress -- we're wondering what kind of veil or headpiece she'll choose!

The blue Issa wrap dress Kate wore for the royal engagement announcement sold out in less than 24 hours. (Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Your Favorite Wedding Movies of All Time

09/13/2010

At TLC Weddings, we love wedding movies! We came up with our top 5 wedding movies of all time, but we think we should expand the list.

Here's what we've got so far: 

The Hangover
The Princess Bride
Wedding Crashers
The Wedding Date
Father of the Bride (the original version with Spencer Tracy)

What movies do you think are missing? Tell us which flicks and why, and we might call you out when we turn this list into a top 10! Leave your comments below or on Facebook.

Banish wedding stress by cuddling up with your sweetie and watching someone else walk down the aisle! (Credit: Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (at Their Bachelorette Parties)

07/16/2010

[From the TLC Editors: Click here for webisodes and video clips featuring the good, the bad and the bridezilla.]

Even though grooms stay pretty tight-lipped about what goes on at their bachelor parties, we know the general agenda of debauchery. There's drinking. Perhaps some voyeurism. Maybe a tiger kidnapping.

But bachelorette parties are different. Granted, not all of us shrink from body shots and metallic "BACHELORETTE" sashes. And as the stress of planning a wedding weighs down on the bride's shoulders, she may be dying for a chance to really let loose. Bachelorettes let loose in very different ways. These are a few of our favorite celebrations.

The Foodie's Delight -- Gather your bridal party at the most fabulous restaurant in town. Make reservations at an upscale place you've been wanting to try. Arrive early and start with a house cocktail at the bar. When you move into the dining room, do all the courses. Or, if you can work with the chef ahead of time, see if he or she will put together a special menu for your celebration. 

Old-fashioned Slumber Party -- Do you still have that old Cabbage Patch Kids sleeping bag? Recreate girlhood fun with a candy-sweet, supremely silly party. The bridal party can show up to the hostess's house in fun PJs and watch your favorite wedding movie (we like "The Proposal" and "Made of Honor"). Order pizza, or do a smorgasbord of classic sleepover snacks. After midnight, crank-call the groom, and be sure to put the phone on speaker so he can hear everybody giggling.

Classy to Sassy -- OK, so the name is lame, but this is the perfect theme for the bridal party that's traveling from all corners of the country to meet up for the occasion. Start with a demure luncheon or tea, and then transition into your raucous fun. Think: cucumber sandwiches and sundresses giving way to martinis and stilettos. It's the best of both worlds, and all the girls will have a chance to reconnect before crowding into a noisy, dark bar.

The Lazy Girl's Party -- You're planning a wedding for more than 100 guests, so you have every right to take a lazy day! What do you really want to do? Eat nachos and catch up on back issues of Vogue and Glamour? Go right ahead -- and ask your bridal party to join you. Name the day and place, and just let the fun happen organically. Don't worry about reservations or getting dressed up. It's your thing -- do what you wanna do.

Sentimental Surprises -- Let the maid of honor whisk the bride away for the day or weekend. Possible destinations: mountain cabin, beach house, country cottage. Hide all the guests in a room, and let the bride read clues (sweet or funny memories each guest has with her) to guess who's at the party. Paste these stories in a scrapbook with photos of the bride and all her friends.

Brides, what's your perfect bachelorette party? Leave your comments below, and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

Tea for two -- or 10 -- can transition into a night on the town. (Credit: Jupiterimages/Thinkstock)

The 10 Rudest Things Wedding Guests Do

07/01/2010

[From the TLC Editors: Click here for webisodes and video clips featuring the good, the bad and the bridezilla.]

We're about halfway through the so-called official wedding season. Guests, have you been naughty or nice? Here's a list of the 10 rudest things wedding guests can do. If you spot one of your transgressions on our list, there's still time to turn the beat around by behaving better in July.

1. Skipping the ceremony and heading straight for the reception. 
2. Never sending a gift. (You've got up to a year after the wedding, people!)
3. Filching a few bottles from the bar after the night is over. One of our TLC editors had guests make off with CASES of wine and champagne at her wedding reception!
4. Swapping place cards so you can sit at a different table. There's a highly delicate art to the seating chart. Do. Not. Mess. With. It.
5. Failing to RSVP on time -- or at all. If you don't RSVP, don't show up.
6. Drinking way too much. So you had four glasses of wine and wiped out on the dance floor. We'll forgive you. But if you had six mixed drinks and passed out in the bathroom, we're not going to be inviting you to any event for a long, long time. And our mothers will never, ever forget you.
7. Bringing a date -- unannounced. We gave you a chance when we addressed your envelope to Jessica and Guest. But when you said you were coming solo, we believed you. Accordingly, you'll find a chair and a chicken dinner for one.
8. Bringing a child -- unannounced. We're not running a day care service, people. The bride decides if kids come to the big event. It's not up to your parental discretion.
9. Giving an impromptu toast. This is the best man's and maid of honor's time to shine. Maybe even an opportunity for another member of the wedding party to say a few words. Or a beloved uncle. But if you're in one of the cheap seats in the back, stay seated.
10. Mistaking yourself for Annie Leibovitz. The happy couple hired a professional photographer. If you want to snap a few shots, knock yourself out. Just don't knock anyone down trying to get the best angle of the first dance.

What's the rudest behavior you've witnessed this wedding season? What should we add to our list? Leave your comments below, and check in with us over at Twitter and Facebook!

Do you even know this guy who's toasting you? (iStockphoto.com/schwester)