What Does Your Bridal Bouquet Say About You?

Before you finalize your decision on what bouquet and floral arrangements for your wedding, you may want to learn more about what your flower’s name and the meanings they represent. Does it signify jealousy, deception, or forsaken love?! Or does it symbolize beauty, passion, or elegance, (let’s hope for this one)? Read through the list and find out what your favorite flower has in store for you!

Allium: Signifies unity.

Alyssum: Signifies incomparable worth. Can also represent modesty, bashfulness, chastity, being demure, shyness, and being unpretentious.

Amaryllis: Pride, pastoral poetry, and beauty.

Anemone: Forsaken (Yikes!)

Azalea: First love.

Bachelor’s Button: Hope & celibacy

Begonia: Beware

Camilla (red): You are the flame within my heart.

Carnation (pink): Often used for mother’s day, and symbolizes unforgettable-ness.

Chrysanthemum (red): Means, “I love you”.

Clematis: Mental beauty.

Dahlia: Dignity and elegance.

Daisy: Innocence & purity.

Dogwood: Love undiminished.

Foxglove: Insincerity.

Gardenia: Secret love.

Hyacinths: Blue=Constancy; Purple= Request of forgiveness; Red/Pink= Playful; White=Loveliness.

Jonquil (Daffodil): Desire.

Lily: Day=Coquetry; Tiger=Wealth/Pride; White=Purity/Virginity.

Lotus Flower: Rejected love.

Magnolia: Love of nature; Nobility.

Marigold: Cruelty; jealousy.

Oleander: Caution.

Orchid: Love; beauty.

Peony: Happy life

Poppy: Red= Pleasure; White=Consolation, eternal sleep; Yellow= Wealth; success.

Queen Anne’s Lace: Haven

Rhododendron: Danger.

Rose: Bridal=Happy love; Dark Crimson=Mourning; Dark Pink=Thank you; Peach=Enthusiasm/desire; Pink=Perfect/You’re lovely; Red=I love you; White=Innocence/ sincerity; Yellow=Joy, friendship, and jealousy.

Spider Flower: Elope with me.

Sweet William: Gallantry/bravery.

Tiger Flower: Befriend me.

Tuber Rose: Illicit pleasures.

Tulip: Red=Believe in me; Varigated= Beautiful eyes; Yellow=Hopeless love

Water Lily: Purity of heart.

Zinnia: Magenta=Lasting affection; Mixed=Thinking of an absent friend; Scarlet=Constancy; White=Goodness; Yellow=Daily remembrance.

The Best Man Had to do What?!

Compared to the maid of honor, it seems like the best man has it pretty easy. As the maid of honor, you are responsible for attending several events, showers, etc, going with the bride to all of her fittings, planning the bachelorette party, go to the rehearsals, holding the bouquet during the ceremony, adjusting the dress as needed throughout the ceremony, giving a speech at the reception, and basically helping the bride wherever necessary. Whew! Whereas the best man is mainly accountable for planning the bachelor party, going the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, holding the rings, and giving a speech. Pretty simple right? Well, the best man used to have a very different, and interesting set of responsibilities centuries ago.

The earliest accounts of the best man goes back as far as the sixteenth century when his sole duty was to help the groom kidnap a woman who he wanted to marry. This tradition of kidnapping brides is believed to have originated from the Germanic Goths. Usually, a man would marry a woman from his own town or village, but sometimes if there were not enough women in his own town, he would have to go to neighboring towns and villages to select a suitable bride. Once he found one that he liked and wanted to marry, he would invade the town and kidnap her, asking only one of his most intimate man who he thinks is the “best man” for the job.

During the ceremony, the best man would also try to protect the couple from the bride’s family (who would probably try to get her back) unless they were accepting of the groom. Not only did he have to keep an eye out for the bride’s family, but it was also his responsibility to thwart any other men from hijacking the bride. Pretty serious job, huh?

The best man used to stand to the right of the groom, so that he could have his hand on his sword and at the ready throughout the ceremony in case his services were needed to protect the bride and groom.

So best men today should consider themselves lucky that all they have to deal with is a bachelor party and speech at the reception as opposed to a knock-down, drag-out over who gets to keep the bride!

Wedding Makeup Tips and Ideas

With the immense preparation and care you take in selecting the perfect dress, hair, shoes, flowers, and accessories, sometimes your make-up takes a backseat. However, what is on your face should certainly be a priority on your big day! Really take the time to decide what works for you and what doesn’t. Here are some really helpful tips that will help you avoid a wedding makeup catastrophe.

If you’re having your makeup “professionally done”:
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1. Take the time to go through magazines and tear out pages that illustrate makeup styles that you really like, as well as the ones you really hate. This will save you time trying to describe (endlessly) what you want or don’t want, and will really help the makeup artist visualize what she needs to do. Remember…your idea of pink lipstick and her idea of pink lipstick might be totally different; which is why a picture is really helpful.

2. Schedule a consultation with your makeup artist, or schedule a full makeup application well in advance. This will help you decide whether or not you like their style, and it will give you a good idea of how long it stays on, how it feels, etc.

3. Bring a picture of your wedding gown with you to your consultation/application! Having a visual of the dress gives the artist an idea of the style of the dress and the wedding. Is it dramatic? Romantic? Elegant? This will also give the artist a glimpse of your style as a whole.

Remember, makeup goes on and comes off easily, so don’t be afraid to say something if you don’t like what the artist has done. It should be fun, and be a time to play with new colors and ideas to find your perfect wedding look! Once you have a look set that you like, have the artist write down everything that he/she used and makes note of items that you may not have that you’ll need that day.

If you’re doing it yourself:
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1. Use a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30, especially if your wedding is outdoors. Chances are, you’re probably getting more sun than you think you are, and you don’t want to look too pink in your wedding pictures.

2. Make sure that your foundation matches perfectly. It should be gone after you blend it along your jaw line in 2-3 strokes. If not, you’ll be blending the wrong shade forever.

3. Two words: Waterproof Mascara. Even if you don’t like to wear waterproof mascara every day, you can apply a layer of your regular mascara followed by a light coat of waterproof mascara. That way if there are any (happy) tears on the big day, you won’t have any watery black streaks!

4. If you have a sudden breakout or blemish just before your wedding day, don’t panic, and don’t touch it. It may be tempting, but squeezing and touching will make it worse, whereas if you leave it alone, it will heal more neatly. If a sudden monstrous blemish appears that you just cannot deal with, see your dermatologist and ask if they can give you a cortisone injection which will shrink it right away.

5. If your eyes look red or tired, pop an eye drop to ease some of the irritation. Stick with a brand that you know and trust though, to avoid any unwelcome surprises!

6. To keep your powder and concealer on all day, fold a tissue into squares and lightly press foundation before you’ve powdered to remove excess oils and leave only pure pigment. Then, apply a little more powder than you’d think you need, and press again with a tissue. The foundation will stay on hours longer this way.

7. Don’t forget your blush! If you have fairer skin, try using a pinker shade, for darker skin tones a rosier hue will work.

8. Go brighter with your lip color. Pale nude or brown lip colors can make you look a little washed out in photos, especially since you’ll be wearing white. If you normally wear a natural lip color, wear it as your base with pink on top. If you normally wear a darker color, use that as your base with a sheer pink on top for a lift.

9. When applying makeup to the eyes, it’s usually best to go with neutral colors, and play up colors with cheeks and lips. Make the most dramatic part of your eyes be your lashes and eyeliner (this will look best in pictures). Do this by applying black or brown eyeliner to the outer ½ or ¼ part of the eye and blend with a q-tip. Then, take your mascara and eyeliner brush and lightly line the eye with your mascara. Let dry and smudge again. It will stay on for hours! Don’t forget to curl your lashes before applying mascara, not after!

10. When you’re finished with your look, you may want to apply a little more blush, then a light layer of loose powder, then lightly mist with a soft spray of water to set. It will take away the look of makeup while helping to set the makeup.

Wedding Guest Etiquette

We talk a lot about what is expected of you as the bride, maid of honor, groom, bridal party etc., but what we don’t always talk about that is also important, is what is expected of you as a guest to a wedding. Since we are in the midst of wedding season as we speak, I wanted to throw out a few pointers to ensure that you do not inadvertently commit a faux pas, or do anything mistaken at a loved one’s wedding.
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Tip #1: Don’t be late! If a wedding invitation says that the ceremony begins at 3 p.m., be sure to be there by at least 2:45 or before to give yourself some time to be seated and to get settled.

Tip #2: You should not take photos during the ceremony. The couple probably paid to have a photographer take pictures for them, and having several flashes during the ceremony is distracting. So just sit back and enjoy the ritual.

Tip #3: You actually do not need to bring a gift with you to the wedding. More gifts means more things that the couple’s family will have to deal with after the reception. So unless you choose to bring a card with a monetary gift, you have up until a year after the wedding to bring a gift.

Tip #4: Ladies-do not wear white to a wedding. I do not know how many times I’ve seen this, and it makes me cringe every time. If your ensemble has some white in the pattern, that’s fine, but it is in poor taste to wear an all white dress or outfit.

Tip #5: Do not bring a date unless the invitation says your name (+ Guest). Remember that the cost for each guest at the wedding is typically pretty high so bringing an unexpected guest is impolite. That includes other relatives and children.

Tip #6: RSVP ASAP!! The couple will be making important decisions and choices based on how many guests will be attending. Additionally, if you have to cancel after you have accepted, do so as soon as possible.

Tip #7: This one is crucial. While a wedding is a time to enjoy yourself and have a good time, no one appreciates a drunken guest embarrassing themselves. Drink alcohol in moderation.

Most importantly…Wish the bride and groom the best and have a great time! Weddings are a celebration!