Should your dog be in your wedding?

Well, this is an unusual wedding topic that I just came across. And yet, not surprising considering the way people in America are so wild about their dogs (cats, other pets) these days.

I have a dog, and I got married, although we did not have our doggie participate in the wedding. However, that is because we were parents before we tied the knot. So we already had a wedding-day threesome, and to throw our dog into the mix would have made a chaotic situation even more insane.

But what if you don't have kids, and you kinda feel like your little pooch is your baby together? He'd look so cute in the photos... would things work out with a dog in a wedding??

I would say that if you follow the below rules, a dog in a wedding could be an okay situation.

Hire or appoint a particular person to be in charge of the dog during the wedding. Preferably it would be someone the dog is well familiar with and likes. Ideally, it could be your dog walker or someone who regularly takes care of the dog. I'm thinking that only the most giving of family members would tolerate being saddled with dog-sitting duty at a wedding where most people are just trying to have a good time.

Pencil in the dog's day of pampering as you're scheduling your own wedding-day appointments. As much as you love him, you wouldn't want your dog showing up to put his dirty paws all over your beautiful white gown or anyone else's wedding-day duds. And shedding would be a big no at this type of party as well!

Alert guests that your dog will be participating. You can mention it in an itinerary that you include with the wedding invites. Let everyone know that of course he will be leashed and/or stowed at appropriate times. Some people are afraid of dogs, dislike dogs, or are allergic to them – so it's probably a good idea to give these folks a heads up and some reassurance that the dog won't be bothering them.

Give the dog a special role in your day. Some couples have their doggies take part in the ceremony (dogs make good ring bearers, I'm told – especially St. Bernards, ha ha!), and pose for some cute pictures with the bride and groom.

Don't forget the treats, water, and a nice walky. Weddings are typically grand affairs – your dog may find this day to be somewhat stressful, what with all the strange people, unfamiliar place, smells, etc. Be sure your dogsitter is doing everything possible to make the dog feel comfortable - treating, giving water, and so forth. Oh – and you'll want her to bring the poopie bags, too!

Drive the dog home early. Truth be told, a wedding reception really isn't a place for a dog. There is always the potential for noisy barking; panting and slobbering; a biting incident, pooping episode, or some other type of caper. If you do opt to have your pooch in the ceremony and pictures, do him a favor and have his caretaker drive him home early. Both the dog and you will be happier once he's safe in his bed at home!

5 Ways to Cut Costs on Your Wedding Day

I was just Googling around and came across a great article published in US News and World Report about how brides and grooms around the country are cutting non-essentials out of their weddings as a means of spending less. Looks like our wedding was right in line with the national trend... very encouraging and good to know!

http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2013/03/18/getting-married-5-things-your-wedding-probably-doesnt-need

Reasons to say "Definitely" to a Day Wedding

Image courtesy of RuffledBlog.com

As an eager NJ bride, you may think that a day wedding is the low-rent wedding option. "Oh, we can't afford anything more than that." Yes, a wedding that starts at noon instead of 6 pm may in fact be the more economical choice.

However, for all you NJ brides who are feeling let down by the thought of getting married during the daylight hours... maybe no one has filled you in on the many ways that day weddings totally rock.

They cost less. I can't resist re-stating this. Our wedding was held in November, on a Saturday, at noon. It included open bar, cocktail hour, buffet dinner and dancing, and ended at 5 pm. The price was $60 per plate.

Less time to be nervous. When you have a day wedding, there's no time to fret all day about how the wedding will go, if you'll get to the church on time, and so forth. You'll just be rushing around trying to get out of the house... and then suddenly, you're getting married!

You can kick off the festivities bright and early. Maybe this isn't the option for you younger brides... but my friends and I all have kids, some on the younger side. We start our days a little after sunrise, and tend to shut it down around 10 or 11 pm. I'm not saying that you'd want to stick to your usual bedtime schedule on your wedding night! But a day wedding may very well work with your parental body clock.

Old folks will appreciate it, too. A day wedding can be particularly thoughtful to the older relatives who don't drive well at night, and are simply livelier before the sun goes down.

Day weddings tend to be a bit more casual. My husband and I are not really fussy types. We complain when we have to wear constricting clothing, and generally feel out of sorts in places where one must dress to the nines, put on airs, and try not to accidentally break expensive items. A day wedding was a nice option for us to have a "come as you are" kind of day for our wedding celebration.

You actually have longer to keep the party going! Here's how our wedding went: married at noon, cocktails at 1 pm. Dinner, then dancing, then say goodbye. Old folks mostly go home – some hang out at the hotel, or maybe head back to our parents' houses for a post-wedding get-together. Bride, groom and good friends all shower up, then head down to the hotel bar/lounge area to drink beer, play cards, and thoroughly enjoy each other's company. For a busy bride and groom who typically spend their entire wedding running around greeting people, taking pictures and dancing/doing various rituals for an audience... a day wedding can actually give you some time after hours to finally relax and let your hair down.

How to Refurbish a Vintage Bridal Gown

I wish I had taken before and after (and during) pictures, but I didn't. My mother in law refurbished a 1940s bridal gown that I had found on Ebay and purchased for about a hundred dollars. I will give you the steps she/we took to achieve results and get it clean and presentable.

Purchase vintage gown. You can find a vintage or antique bridal gown on Ebay, at an estate sale, thrift shop, on Craigslist, at an online boutique, auction, or anywhere really.

Have gown dry cleaned. I wouldn't set foot in a vintage bridal gown without having it cleaned first. I believe it cost my local dry cleaners about $70 to do my gown.

Inspect any beading or jewels. The rhinestones on the upper bodice of my wedding gown were dirty, and some had come loose. Also, a number of them had accumulated rust.

Clean the jeweled area. Use a fabric-safe, non-caustic spray-on cleaner to gently spritz beaded or jeweled area. My mother in law keeps Basic H, which is made by the Shaklee Company, on hand and it worked perfectly for this purpose. To do this, first put a utility cloth on the underside/inside of the fabric to absorb liquid. Spray the cleaning solution onto the affected area. Pat with cloth or paper towel.

Repeat this process until much of the beading and jewels have lost their dull and grayed or rusted appearance, and returned to their former luster. Periodically check the cloth that you used to sop up the dampness that will have accumulated on the inside of the gown. Remove and replace the dirty cloth with a clean one, and continue spritzing and patting dry until you have worked on all of the beading and/or jewels in question.

Hang dress to dry. This will take a day or so.

Replace missing, damaged or especially dirty beads, rhinestones or pearls. This should be performed by someone who has had experience sewing small beads or jewels on fabric. My mother in law is a skilled crafter, and was able to replace many of the bad looking rhinestones with pearls. Because she had incorporated so many pearls into the upper bodice, she also had to make an executive design decision. Which part of the dress would have pearls, rhinestones, and/or both? Once she had established a method of patterning the jewels she then went ahead to painstakingly sew on each gem until the dress was fully converted to its new look.

Have dress altered to fit you perfectly. I took my wedding dress to a local seamstress who did a few tricks with the bust area and made it work for my shape and size. Her price was extremely reasonable and she did as good of a job as she could, working with what I gave her.

Carefully iron all wrinkles out of dress. The final step is to neatly press your wedding dress with a warm iron, then store in garment bag for your marriage day.

Hope this gives you some ideas for how to breathe new life into an antique or vintage bridal gown!

Do It Yourself Wedding Arch Decorations