The OurWeddingDay Blog

Celebrity weddings and glamorous bridal magazines are a lot of fun, but nothing’s more helpful than learning how real brides plan their big day.

Meet OWD's Real Brides: real OurWeddingDay.com Brides-to-be sharing their experiences.  It’s not about the “right” way to plan; it’s about each bride planning the wedding that’s right for her.

Sam from Sudbury, Ontario writes:

My fiancé and I are not really big church-goers, but we are having our ceremony in a church simply for tradition and for our families. So when we were asked if we were going to perform the unity candle part of the ceremony, we decided not to.

Instead we are opting to try the unity sand ceremony. This way we can have our wedding colors come out in another part of our ceremony and also have our families take part in it. We are going to have our mother’s bring up our family sand colors and my fiancé's dad will be escorting them down the aisle. We really liked this idea to have them all take part and also it will be a nice souvenir from our big day for us to be able to treasure.

For many couples, divorced parents are just another part of ceremony planning. Naturally, you want your whole family to be included in your wedding, but you don’t want them, or anyone else, to be uncomfortable. It’s your day, but there are ways to make their presence a little more pleasant for all involved.

Check out the article here for tips on seating, photos the reception and more.

After your bridal shower, it’s your responsibility to thank your guests for attending. Contrary to what you might think, the primary function of bridal shower thank you notes is to thank your guests for their presence at your bridal shower party. After that, if the guest gave you a gift, mention the gift and your gratitude for it.

So how do you get started with thank you notes?

1. Begin by having a friend or your maid of honor write down every gift as you open it during your bridal shower. You should try to mention gifts in specific terms when writing the notes.
2. Purchase upscale thank you notes. Don’t buy blank notes or notes from a party store. While it’s optional to match the theme of your shower, it isn’t mandatory.
3. Always hand-write and hand-address each thank you note. If you have trouble keeping your handwriting neat, only write a few at a time.
4. Stay organized with a binder or heavy folder. Keep it in your car or at the office so you can work on your notes when you have free time.
5. Make sure you finish sending your notes within four weeks of the bridal shower. Ask your local post office for themed stamps to give your notes a nice personal touch.

My brothers, his groomsmen?

You’re about to start a whole new journey, and part of the lifelong trips includes family—his. While you’re more than likely to address in-laws before the wedding, some family members are often not introduced until wedding preparations. To start things on the right foot, it’s smart to integrate both sides into the ceremony.  It’s an easy task if you’re already best buds, not so much if you’ve never met. So check out an in-law ceremony primer here.

Planning on attending someone else's shower?  Guests to your shower need some help?

When attending bridal showers, gifts are probably at the top of your to-do list. After all, the term “shower” refers to showering the bride-to-be with gifts to help her get started in her new life as a wife. These days, many brides are already settled in homes or living with their partners. So how do you shop for a modern bridal shower party? Try these tips:

1. Always consult the bride’s gift registry first. Modern registries allow guests to view full gift registries online. See what others are buying and make an attempt to complete a set or purchase something that no one has gotten yet.
2. For big-ticket items, consider buying as a group. Does the bride need a new appliance or something out of your budget? Call close friends and go in on a gift together. If you do this, be sure to get separate cards or small gifts to shower her individually.
3. Feel free to give her something handmade or unique. Remember, a registry is only a guideline for the bridal shower’s gifts. While you should consult it to be sure you’re not getting something completely unnecessary, you shouldn’t feel absolutely married to the wish list. If you want to get a special keepsake or a touching, personal gift, feel free.

It’s not uncommon in 2010 for interfaith weddings to take place. If you and your fiancé are of different religions, your wedding can be every bit as traditional as you’d like it to be. There might be some issues specific to your situation, so read on for an interfaith wedding primer here.

Celebrity weddings and glamorous bridal magazines are a lot of fun, but nothing’s more helpful than learning how real brides plan their big day.

Meet OWD's Real Brides: real OurWeddingDay.com Brides-to-be sharing their experiences.  It’s not about the “right” way to plan; it’s about each bride planning the wedding that’s right for her.

Sam from Sudbury, Ontario writes:

With our wedding day being roughly 14 months away we have started picking our wedding attendants. For myself it was easy because my girls have been my best friends my whole life. For my fiancé that was a different story. He knew right away who is best man was going to be and one other of his groomsmen, but that left him still missing two others to stand on his side. He finally figured out who they were going to be and we now have four standing on each side. I couldn’t pick between two of my girls to be the maid of honor so they have decided they will share the roll.

Our ring bearer will be my one bridesmaid little boy, who when it comes the time of the wedding will be almost three. Our whole wedding party is picked except for our flower girl. We have decided that it’s not that important if we don’t have one but it would just be nice to. I was reading a lot in wedding articles that couples have been using there four legged friends to be wedding attendants and through this could provide a solution to our problem.

My fiancé and I have a little blonde toy poodle who is very well behaved and would work great. Our ring bearer loves her and I figured that if he gets scared to walk down the aisle than he just needs to follow “pup”. I was not going to put a dress on my dog or anything and not even have her carry a basket just simply get a new collar to match the wedding party along with a leash.

I first proposed this idea to my girl attendants who all thought it would be a cute idea, than I proposed the idea to my fiancé who absolutely said “No!”. I figured I could work on him and eventually get her in as we do have some time. So I decided to casually ask our minister about this idea and he right out said no as well, which I guess is my fault because we are getting married in a church and apparently it is not allowed at his church.

So with that out of the way we decided that we will just go with out, but now my future mother in-law as brought up the fact that my fiancé has a cousin, which he doesn’t know to well who has a little girl that could work as our flower girl. My first reaction is just to smile but when you think of it, if he doesn’t even know his cousin that well how would he know the child that well to allow them in our wedding party? It’s an item to think about and a bridge we will have to pass soon with his mom to either go with family we don’t know or to go without.

Wondering what he should wear to an upcoming wedding? Use this simple guide to men’s wedding fashion. Before checking his closet for the right suit, consult the invitation for the time of day and formality. You may be surprised at all his options.

Daytime Informal and Semi-Formal
Men should wear a dress shirt and pants to an informal daytime wedding. Shorts are never appropriate. Consider adding a sports jacket for a classy touch. Remember, men’s sandals are only appropriate for beach weddings. If a wedding will take place on the beach and then move indoors, consider bringing shoes to change into. Men should always wear a suit for a semi-formal wedding. During the day, suits do not necessarily need to be black or navy blue.

Daytime Formal
For daytime formal weddings, men should wear light-colored suits and ties. Nice hats are appropriate. Avoid sports wear and informal hats.

Evening Semi-Formal
Men should always wear a dark-colored suit to a semi-formal wedding. Unless the wedding takes place in a very trendy area, stick with traditional suits and ties. Leave cutting-edge wedding fashions to the bridal party and stick to traditional looks.

Evening Formal or Black Tie
Men should always wear dark suits or tuxedos to formal or black tie evening weddings. Be sure to have suits tailored and cleaned prior to the event. Remember to coordinate with appropriate shoes. He can rent a tuxedo if he doesn’t own one.

Okay ladies, it's time for some tough love.

It’s your wedding day, which means you can do anything you want, right? Well, yes and no. All the big decisions are ultimately yours and your groom’s, but if you want to make sure your guests are comfortable and have (almost) as much fun as you do, check out these “rules” you don’t want to break. Keep these tips in mind, and it will be great day for all involved.

Once you’ve chosen the members of your wedding party, it’s time to start planning the specifics and details. Let your fiancé take care of the groomsmen’s details while you focus on your bridesmaids. Remember, choosing brides maid dresses is just part of the big picture.

Depending on the size of your bridal party, it may be difficult to find a dress style that flatters each individual woman’s body type. Look into bridal boutiques such as David’s Bridal that offer a wide variety of dresses in the same fabric and shade. Many brides allow their bridesmaids to choose from a handful of dresses in similar styles and the same color.

Each bridesmaid is responsible for purchasing her brides maid dress, her shoes, and her accessories.  Some brides choose to give each attendant a piece of jewelry as a bride’s maid gift. Your attendants are also responsible for paying for their own transportation and lodgings for the wedding.

Before and during your wedding, your bridesmaids have certain traditional duties. These can include helping you plan the wedding, helping you prepare wedding favors, helping your organize your rehearsal dinner, and helping you arrange your bridal gown during the ceremony and reception. Assign duties early on to avoid confusion.

Have your maid of honor help you coordinate shoes, accessories and flowers with the bridesmaid dresses you choose. The overall bridesmaid look should complement your wedding dress without stealing the spotlight.