Yes to the Dress, No to the Pie.


The holidays can be a stressful time for anyone’s waistline. Especially if you’re planning on tying the knot close to Christmas. It’s estimated that the average person gains around two pounds during the holiday season, and it’s not uncommon to gain five to seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. But fear not brides, we have some tips to help you and your sweet tooth keep your calories under control.

One of the best yet most dangerous elements to the holiday season, are obviously the holiday parties. And let me tell you, they are almost impossible to escape. From family and friends to potlucks at work, there are an abundance of places to loosen your belt. Here are some helpful tips that will prevent you from needing to let your dress out.

Eat something small before the party. Skipping meals and arriving to any event starving is never a good idea. Eating something small and healthy before the party will allow you to arrive satisfied and prevent you from over indulging due to an empty stomach.

Be a picky eater. Don’t eat anything you don’t absolutely love. Avoid eating things just to be social, and stick to eating things that you consider to be worth the calories.

Hold a drink in your dominate hand. Now, this may sound a little crazy, but some studies show that people are less likely to nibble if their dominate hand is busy. So get a low cal drink to keep your hand from wandering to the dessert tray.

Mix it up. If you’re going to have dessert at one party, skip the appetizers. At the next party allow yourself some hor d’oeuvres but pass on dessert. Allowing some variety and trade offs will make skipping something yummy easier.

Just to put things into perspective. Here are some holiday calorie facts (Sorry!) from Redbook.

• Having two spoonfuls of chocolate-chip cookie dough: 64 calories, 3 grams of fat

• Eating leftover pie scraps: 81 calories, 5 grams of fat

• Licking whipped cream off the beaters: 52 calories, 5 grams of fat

• Picking just one slice of cheese from the platter: 113 calories, 9 grams of fat

• Grabbing a handful of mixed nuts from the bowl: 168 calories, 15 grams of fat

Sometimes, the hardest part of being good around the holidays is behaving in your own home. It can be really easy to cheat while you bake so we have some helpful tips to help fight your cravings.

-Eat before you bake. This technique is similar to eating before going to a party. The more satisfied you feel before being around naughty food, the less likely you are to over indulge.

-Chew gum. Chewing gum is always a good idea to prevent unnecessary nibbling.

-Make deals with yourself If you absolutely must have some cookie dough, only eat one baked cookie. Sticking to these deals will help you stay grounded during the season.

One thing to always remembering during the holiday season is to:
Maintain your exercise plan. Most brides-to-be will try to exercise before the big day. The holidays can become really stressful, making it seem like there isn’t enough time in the day. The last thing that should be cut out of your schedule is your exercise. Try to set aside 20 minutes everyday for some sort of physical activity. Not only will it give you energy, it can help you sleep better at night.

The holidays are all about enjoying friends and family, and food happens to be a part of that. Don’t get down about the extra frosting you had to pass up. Instead, do your best to remember the reason for the season. So make smart choices, don’t sweat the small stuff, and enjoy spending time with your loved ones during the best time of the year!

The Ambiance of Autumn

Summer has ended and fall brides everywhere are finishing their final fall wedding details. Think wedding season ends in September? Think again, here are our favorite features of fall weddings!

Venue: One of the obvious charms of fall are the rich, warm colors it provides. This scheme sets a cozy tone, and many brides take advantage of this seasonal element. Fall is the prime season for outdoor weddings because of the rich shades of amber and red that will surround an outdoor venue. Apple orchards and wine vineyards are always popular choices. However, many brides choose to have indoor ceremonies while still embracing the rustic characteristic that fall offers. Indoor ceremonies that take place at historic inns, quaint yet elegant churches or a venue that has dark, rich woods will add to the ambiance.

Flowers: Fall bouquets offer a variety of textures and colors. Many brides choose to include traditional fall colors in their bouquets. These are typically red, yellow, orange, and even deep purple tones. Fall weddings occuring in 2011 are likely to have primarily white bouquets, only adding hints of a more traditional fall color. One of my favorite elements of fall wedding flowers, is the flexibility to add texture and unique seasonal elements. Adding crab apples, ornamental cabbage or even physalis fruit is a great way to make a one of a kind bouquet.

Cakes: Many fall brides choose to incorporate fall elements into their wedding cakes. This can be done through flavor and/or decoration. One of the easiest ways to embrace the season through your cake is by adding fall inspired accents. Decorating with fall foliage, miniature pumpkins or red apples is a perfect way to add a pop of color while remaining seasonally appropriate. Another tasty idea we found is decorating your cake in caramel covered grapes. Not only is this idea delicious, it also acts as a way to add texture.Choosing a cake flavor is always a difficult task, and fall only complicates this decision by offering an abundance of palate pleasers. Hazelnut, cherry, and dark chocolate are some of the most common fall flavors. Espresso and French vanilla are also unique alternatives that allow you to reflect on the season. Fall also provides icing flexibility. Chocolate ganache, fondant and buttercream are perfect options for fall cakes that can’t always withstand summer heat.

Favors: Some great ideas for fall wedding favors include: small jars of jam, spice cookies, or small potted mums. We loved this miniature pie idea!

Halloween: Many couples chose to incorporate a Halloween theme into their wedding. This unlikely anniversary is becoming an increasingly popular date for couples to tie the knot, and this theme goes far beyond an orange and black color scheme. Below are some of our favorite spooky ideas for your special day.

Save-the-Date: In our previous post, we discussed save-the-date ideas. Save-the-date cards are extremely important because they reveal the first details of your wedding. Dishing out decked out Halloween save-the-date cards will indicate your ghoulish inspired ceremony to your guests. They’re also a great way to get creative with your theme.

Favors: Forget finger sandwiches! Get out the caramel apples and candy corn! These Halloween inspired treats act as great wedding favors and adorable deserts. Here were some of our favorite ideas!

Venue: Choosing an older venue like a historic church or Victorian mansion will also add to the ambiance of an All Hallows Eve ceremony.

And with fall upon us, and Halloween right around the corner, don’t forget to order your custom fall bridal apparel when planning your fall nuptials!

Most Popular Bridal Party Gifts

Your bridesmaids and groomsmen are a huge part of your wedding. They attend your showers, buy their own dresses and tuxes, go to rehearsal dinners and bachelor/bachelorette parties. Since they are your closest friends and family, there’s no doubt that they love doing all of those things for your special day, but it’s still nice to show them your appreciation with a gift! Bridal Party Tees has a huge selection of gifts that are perfect for bridesmaids and groomsmen! Check out our list below and here for even more bridal party gift ideas!

For the Ladies

Personalized Totes: Personalized beach bags or canvas totes make great gifts for bridesmaids and wedding attendants! Fill them up with each girl’s favorite candy and goodies and maybe even a personalized wedding tee shirt for an amazing gift she will love!

Personalized Magnets: Magnets make perfect “Save the Date” gifts and can also be used as gifts for your bridal party goody bag! Customize them with names, dates, quotes, or upload your favorite photo and stick it on the fridge to be remembered every morning of the special day!

Wedding/Bachelorette Party tees: Customize each of your girls a tee shirt, tank top, or zip-up to commemorate the big day, or to wear out to the bachelorette party!

Shot Glasses: Customized shot glasses are a super fun and easy option for gifts for your bridesmaids! Personalize each one with the girl’s names, quotes or wedding date.

Coffee Mugs: Upload a photo of the lucky couple or put a date of a memorable event on one of our mugs and start your mornings off right! Makes a great keepsake or bridesmaid gift!

For the Fellas

Customized Beer Mugs: A personalized frosted mug or ceramic stein filled with goodies inside makes a perfect gift for your groomsmen or father-in-law!

Wedding/Bachelor Party Tees: So the guys want to take you out on the town for your last night as a free man? Why not provide the uniform tees as your gift to the guys for the night of fun they have prepared for you! Or throw a customized t-shirt in the gift set of goodies you already have prepared for them!

Shot Glasses: Customized shot glasses are a fun addition to any bridal party gift set or memorable bachelor party gift!

Sports Bag: Customize a sports bag and use it as a carry for all your other groomsmen gifts to the guys! It’s a great way to commemorate the day, and your friends will love having another gym bag!

Travel Mugs: Travel mugs make great groomsmen gifts because they can use them in the car, at work or at home! Personalize it with the date and location of the wedding accented by some fun art.

BPT Group Shots!

These awesome Bridal Party Tee photos were sent to us by Rosie! Rosie wanted to create personalized t-shits as a souvenir for the bridal party of her friend Michelle’s wedding. Each design featured Michelle’s name as well as the name of the person that the shirt was for, so that they would all have a special gift from the Bachelorette Party!

The bride’s shirt said “The Bride”, the mothers of the bride and groom each had special shirts that said “Mother of the Bride” and “Mother of the Groom”, which they sported proudly because they were so happy to have their children united! The Maid of Honor also had a special design because she is the bride’s twin sister, and the other three bridesmaids had similar designs with their names and the bride’s name.

The ladies celebrated their event at a French restaurant in Sonoma (Délicieux!) followed by massages at the resort spa! Sounds like Michelle is one lucky woman! French cuisine, massages, cocktails, and customized t-shirts all in one day-Geez! Thanks for sharing Rosie!

Weird Wedding Superstitions




1. Gift Bows Over the Door: It is believed that you should hang all of the bows from your wedding gifts over your door for a full year after you wed!

2. ‘Til Death do Us Part: If the bride’s wedding gown rips on the day before her wedding the marriage will end in death. (Gasp!)

3. Never Make Your Own Dress: It is bad luck for a bride to sew her own wedding dress. It is believed that each stitch she sews will equal the tears she cries over her marriage.

4. Lucky Day: The Victorians believed that the luckiest day to marry is on the day of the week that the groom was married, and that it was even luckier to be married on his birthday!

5. White Dress: Wearing a white dress on your wedding day actually has nothing to do with virginity. In the past, white cloth was very expensive to bleach and more than one bleaching was required. So, the whiter the cloth the more expensive wealthy the bride’s family was. Some symbols of virginity are actually the bride’s hair being worn down, or orange blossoms or a wreath of flowers worn in her hair.

6. No Knives, please: In the Jewish tradition it’s bad luck to receive knives as a wedding gift. In case someone should give knives, the bride should transform the exchange into a financial transaction by giving a penny or nominal sum for the knives.

7. Stand-In Bride: The bride is never supposed to practice walking down the aisle, even during rehearsal, or it will bring bad luck. The most popular alternative is to ask a close friend, or someone in the wedding to be your “Stand-in” bride.

8. Here Kitty, Kitty: A week before the wedding have a house-cat eat out of your left shoe for good luck.

9. Rosary Beads: If it is raining the morning of your wedding, hang rosary beads on the clothesline. One bride swears by this superstition. On the morning of her wedding it was absolutely pouring, so she hung a strand of rosary beads on the clothesline and by the time everyone was dressed and ready to go the sun was shining and the rest of the day was perfect.

10. The Last Name on the Shoe: The bride is supposed to have all of her bridesmaids sign the bottom of her shoe before the wedding. At the end of the reception, the bridesmaid whose name is worn off the most is the next to marry!

So there you have it! You already know not to let the groom see you until you walk down the aisle, to have him carry you across the threshold, and all of the other “staple” wedding superstitions, but if you’re looking for more ways to ensure that you have good luck on your wedding day just follow these simple superstitions. Enjoy!

BPT Spotlight!

Today I want to shine the “Bridal Party Tees Spotlight” on one of our brides named Tanika! Tanika created these tees for her bridal party (and herself) to wear to her bridal shower. Tanika said, “I wanted each bridesmaid and maid of honor shirt to reflect the valuable role they have played in my life.” They say things like, “Wedding Coordinator”, “Official Side Kick”, “Shy Friend”, “Ride or Die”, “The Bride’s Home Girl”, and other really cute titles! Such a sweet, thoughtful gift for the important women in her life!

Tanika chose to make her bridal party designs in turquoise and white-her wedding colors! Her bridesmaids loved the tees, and it looks like they all had a ball wearing them. Looks great ladies!