Tacky Weddings

I know I did a wedding post last week and even though no one is getting married this week this one is too funny not to share. This is not a new site and is not even updated that regularly but is still hilarious. Take some time to flip through the entire site if you can. If you don't watch the videos it does not take long. Seriously, the entire site could be devoted to the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding type photos and that would almost be enough. Of course the super white trashy stuff is also excellent. So enjoy your new time suck!

Tacky Weddings

What is your favorite tacky wedding trend?

Weddings, Marriage & $$$

In the past I have blogged about the fun side of weddings - the planning, gift guides, being a good bride, being a good guest, and what to do with old bridesmaid dresses. One thing that no one likes to think about is the cost of weddings. Films fill brides-to-be with grandiose ideas of what a proper wedding should look like. Have you stopped to think what those weddings actually cost? You know it is a lot but how much? This article exposes the high cost of having a movie wedding and I found it fascinating!

4 Movie Weddings and Their Real Life Costs

If I should ever find a guy worthy of marrying, I have no intention of taking his last name. I know some guys say this is a "dealbreaker" however if they read the next article they might agree that the financial benefits of their wife keeping her last name will keep their "manly pride" in check.

Are Maiden Names Really Worth $500,000?

This article's title is a little misleading but there is a book out there encouraging women to be golddiggers. On the flip side, smart women don't marry deadbeats with gambling problems and mountains of debt. After reading this article it reinforced in my mind that some of my past love interests were just too much of a hot mess to ever marry. I used to joke that I would have my future husband sign a reverse pre-nup - one that absolved me from any of his debt. Maybe not just a funny idea after all...

Do Smart Women Marry Money?

Wedding Guest Dos and Don'ts

So this weekend Melissa and Andy will tie the knot! In honor of their upcoming nuptials, here is a great article to help you be a perfect wedding guest.

15 Wedding Guest Dos and Don'ts

Regardless if you are a wedding guest or planning your own trip to the alter, don't miss out on my other wedding related posts!

Crimes Against Bridesmaids

Product Placement Wednesday - Ms. & Mrs. Minimergency Kit

A Trip to the Alter on a Budget

What to Do With an Old Bridesmaid Dress, etc.

What To Do With An Old Bridesmaid Dress and Other Wedding Related News

What To Do With An Old Bridesmaid Dress

Like me, I am sure many of you have stood up for a friend or two as they started down the path of married life. If you are a guy, you have it easy (and much less expensive) than the ladies. Rent a tux and done. As my female readers know, we must purchase a dress that we will unlikely wear again. Out of six weddings, only one bridesmaid dress is one that I plan to wear again (hopefully on September 10, 2011!). Many people have a closet full of dresses much like Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses. So today we will explore some options for those never to be worn again frocks!

Consignment

This is a tricky option but can help you recoup a little cash for your dress. Your success at consignment is going to have a lot to do with the style and color of your dress. Could it pass for a prom dress or special occasion dress? Then you will have better luck. One of my dresses sold for $80 and I made $40. My initial investment before alterations was $130 so I was able to recoup a third of the cost. Be sure you understand all of the perimeters at the consignment shop so that there are no surprises on the back end. The particular shop I used had a window of time that they would try to sell your dress. Once that time was up, you had to pick up the dress or they would donate it to charity.

Donate

Personally this is one of my favorite options. There are wonderful organizations all of over the country that collect old prom, bridesmaid, and other special occasion dresses and provide them to underprivileged high school girls so that they can attend prom in style. Some of these organizations will also take shoes and accessories so it can be a one stop to donate an entire look. There are several sites that will help you find places to donate but DonateMyDress.org seems to be the most comprehensive.

Exchange

I recently learned of a company that will allow you to exchange a bridesmaid dress for a new, stylish, black dress. NewlyMaid only accepts dresses that are in top condition (no rips, stains, etc) but in exchange for your old dress you will get a significant discount on one of their new dresses. The old dresses are either recycled into new yarn or donated to charity. Check out their site for additional details.

Repurpose

This option only really works if you are crafty but can be the most fun! I have a dress that unfortunately has permanent stains on it do to a fellow bridesmaid's inability to hold her liquor. NONE of the other options will work with this particular dress so I am probably going to eventually turn it into a Halloween costume. If your dress has a large stain free area to work with, the fabric can be turned into a variety of items - pillows, skirt, top, wrap, table runner, etc. The only limit is your creativity!

Hopefully you have lucked out and your dress is as fashion forward as our dresses from this Fall 2009 wedding!

Other Wedding Related News

Gifting

A few weeks ago I blogged about wedding gifting. Real Simple has also published their take on these age old questions. What do you think? Did they get it right?

TOMS Wedding Shoes

TOMS shoes is now offering a wedding collection. Perfect for the couple that wants to put a eco/philanthropy spin on their special day. As you may recall, TOMS donates one pair of shoes for every pair purchased to a child in need. Personally, I have never worn this brand of shoes but they look very comfortable. Even for the bride that wants a sexier shoe for the ceremony and photos might enjoy changing into these little flats once the dancing kicks off!

Heather - today's entry is for you! Thanks for being a loyal reader!

Product Placement Wednesday - Ms. & Mrs. Minimergency® Kit for Her

I love when I just happen upon genius. This is exactly what happened to me on Saturday while shopping at Sephora aka "The Mother Ship". While waiting in the check out line, I was browsing all of the impulse buys/mini products (I don't know about you but miniature versions of full size products are just so tempting - I think it's a girl thing.). That's when I saw the adorable Ms. & Mrs. Minimergency® Kit for Her.

The Ms. & Mrs. Minimergency Kit for Her contains the following items: 0.017 oz Blistex Lip Ointment, Dental Floss, Ice Drops Breath Freshener, Emery Board, 0.8 oz Clear Nail Polish, 1 Nail Polish Remover Pad, 0.1 oz Hair Spray, Clear Elastics, Earring Backs, 1 Stain Remover Towelette, Double-Sided Tape, Mending Kit, 1 Deodorant Towelette, 1 Small Latex-Free Bandage, 1 Regular Tampon, & 1 Packet of 2 Tablets of Advil.

With all of those items what WOULDN'T you use this kit for??? This kit is perfect for the desk at work, your car, traveling (everything is TSA approved), and makes a lovely gift for brides/bridesmaids. With a price tag of $13, you can afford to keep one in more than one place!

Ms. & Mrs. makes a variety of these fabulous kits tailored to a variety of situations including Mother of the Bride/Groom, Labor & Delivery, and College. While the Minimergency can be ordered via Sephora, all other varieties can be ordered direct through the Ms. & Mrs. site.

Crimes Against Bridesmaids

NOTE: While I plan to continue with original content, I am going to start posting interesting articles, photos, etc that I think my readers may enjoy. Here is the first!

I have been a bridesmaid several times and thankfully the ladies I have stood up for have not been offenders like the examples in the article below. For those ladies out there who are planning a wedding or will be at some point down the road, I encourage you to bookmark this article so your bridesmaids can have the enjoyable experience I did when standing up for Jill, Megan, Mathilde, Audrey and Katie!

10 Things Every Bridesmaid Hates to Hear