Design and style tips offer a creative spin on an old wedding tradition

Creative Ideas for Old Traditions

Design and style tips offer a creative spin on an old wedding tradition

(ARA) – Something old, something new;

Something borrowed, something blue;

And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

An enduring Victorian tradition steeped in superstitious symbolism, the verse containing a series of old, new, borrowed and blue good luck tokens for the bride dates back centuries in England.

John C. Franke, style expert and faculty member at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, offers a creative spin on the age-old tradition for the bride-to-be in 2010.

Something old: Continuity with the bride’s family and the past

According to Franke, trends suggest a rising popularity in vintage gowns. “A 1960s-era gown will not only allow a bride to check something “old” off her list, but may also offer affordability and superior workmanship,” says Franke who recommends vintage shops as well as eBay to begin the search. “To make her purchase even more meaningful, a bride might consider purchasing a dress from one of many organizations who recycle wedding gowns for charitable fundraising.”

For another possibility to represent something “old,” Franke suggests implementing a table of wedding photographs collected from family and friends attending the reception. The photos will honor the marriages of couples close to the bride and groom as well as provide a wonderful center for conversation.

Something new: Optimism and hope for the bride’s life ahead

“Renewable is the new ‘new,’” says Franke. For a fresh approach to something new, Franke suggests environmentally responsible decisions such as selecting potted perennials for centerpieces. “Potted wildflowers will create a vibrant setting for the reception and can later be planted in the garden at the newlywed’s home.”

Franke also suggests seed satchels as favors to serve as a long-living connection to the wedding.

Even guests can get into the game. “If you’re invited to a wedding this year, consider presenting the couple with a gift that offers a new spin on traditional gift options.” Franke suggests antiques carefully selected for the couple or aluminum serving pieces.

Something borrowed: A reminder that the bride can still depend on friends and family

Traditionally, a bride can borrow anything from her best friend’s punch bowl to her grandmother’s pearls, but Franke suggests fulfilling the adage by creating a buzz. “Why not borrow an antique car and create a dramatic exit from your wedding?” Franke asks.

Another emerging trend is the borrowing of the cake knife from one bride to another within a family. Starting a tradition now of passing along your cake knife or other wedding essentials is not only cost-saving, but also creates a legacy that future generations will treasure.

Something blue: A color suggesting purity and fidelity as evidenced in the 19th century phrase “Marry in blue, lover be true.”

Building blues into the wedding color scheme is an option for completing your old, new, borrowed and blue checklist, and at the same time, developing a color scheme for your reception.

“Think like a graphic designer,” says Franke. “Consider your wedding colors as a controlled palette.” Franke encourages the bride to visit a paint store or check a Pantone system and define a series of colors, never more than three.

Once selected, the bride can keep the color chips with her throughout the planning period so that the exact colors are always available when decisions are made about bridesmaids’ gowns, table linens, floral arrangements and other decorative elements.

According to Franke, blues are an elegant choice for any season. He suggests pairing royal blues with yellow for a classic summer wedding; blue and pink for spring; and icy blues with whites or silver for a winter wedding.

To learn more about The Art Institutes schools, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Choose and Order your Attendants Gowns

6 Months Before the Wedding

You have carefully chosen the girls that will stand up in your wedding. This is a big deal and hopefully you’ve surrounded yourself with women who are an important part of your life and also dependable. Being an attendant is a big deal and dressing them is a big task on your list. As a bride, you want to be sure that you select dresses that the girls will look great and feel comfortable in. Be careful not to be that bride that says “you can definitely wear this again” because the reality is that they won’t! This is a special occasion that warrants a special gown, and your choice will show up in pictures for years to come.

First and foremost, consider the body types of all of your attendants. You want to select something that is flattering to each and every body type so as not to make anybody feel uncomfortable. Selecting strapless for example can be risky if you have even one attendant who is uncomfortable with their upper body. Be compassionate and remember that everybody wants to look good for your special day. You also want to consider the time of year that your wedding will be in. If you are getting married in a colder month for example, then be sure to include a shawl or covering of some type to keep the girls warm. If you are getting married in a hot month, then try to select something that they can keep cool in. Color is a completely personal choice, and you can have fun with this. You can select a favorite color of yours, one that goes with your selected color scheme for example. You could also go with more of a rainbow effect and let each girl pick their own color in the same style of dress. This is a popular trend and can look gorgeous in pictures!

You also want to be very careful about cost when selecting the attendant’s gowns. Remember that standing up in a wedding can be a very expensive responsibility with the bridal shower, bachelorette party, engagement party, and all of the accessories and gifts for each occasion. Be kind in your gown selection—you don’t want anybody to go broke by standing up in your wedding. If you are having a smaller wedding party, then you can let the girls come shopping with you to select their own dresses. Be careful about this though as you can get into some differing opinions where you have to play referee—this can be stressful for everyone involved! No matter how you select the dresses, be sure to provide your girls plenty of time to go get measured and order their gowns. This is likely the most important part of their role on your special day, so be sure that you provide them everything they need to get this task checked off of their list—and yours too!

Start Researching Wedding Gowns and Veils

10 Months Before Your Wedding

Every bride dreams of looking like a princess on her wedding day! For as long as you can remember, you’ve likely dressed up and envisioned yourself in the long flowing beautiful white gown as a bride. It’s every little girl’s fantasy and when it’s time for the big day, this can be the most exciting part of the wedding planning. Finding your wedding gown can be so thrilling, though it can also be a bit stressful as well. Perhaps you are lucky enough to have a vision of what style you want your wedding gown to be and that makes it a bit easier. However finding the perfect gown is a journey that every bride-to-be sets out on and it can be time consuming and challenging at times.

If you are lucky enough to be perfectly happy with your body, then you are quite fortunate. Most brides have certain problem areas that they want to cover, and it’s worth considering the style that will flatter your body type as you shop for dresses. Before you even hit one dress shop, it will help you to do a bit of research on the various styles out there. You can find out a lot by thumbing through magazines and visiting sites that can lay out the various styles and those that flatter various body types. You can learn a lot and going in well prepared can make the actual act of dress shopping much easier and certainly more enjoyable.

By performing some initial research, you may also find types of dresses that you hadn’t considered. If for example you are having a destination wedding, you could easily find some options that are more conducive to a wedding on the beach. If you are having a winter wedding, then you may find some dresses and even accessories that will work well in the colder months. Taking the time to do your research will make the act of trying on dresses and veils much more enjoyable.

Veils are usually a little easier to narrow in on then dresses, but you want to consider length as it will go along with your dress as well as where you want it to sit on your head. If you intend on wearing a veil for your ceremony only as opposed to throughout the entire reception, this will greatly influence the type of veil you end up with. It’s highly recommended to find the perfect dress first and then decide upon the type of veil so that they are sure to work well together. Understanding the various types out there however can help to educate you so that you make the very best choices for the full attire for your special day. If you do your research and narrow down your search criteria a bit for your dress, then you are more likely to find the perfect dress. It’s true that you just know when you’ve found it—it will be the one that makes you feel like a princess instantly!