Black is the new White?

Black doesn’t have to be dark (see our earlier article about darker-themed weddings if that’s what you are looking for.). In the old days, black might have been a big “don’t” on the day you say “I do” but now it’s okay. More than okay, actually – black details on the big day can be brilliant. And, even better, when you incorporate the unusual into your wedding day, you often don’t have to buy it at a wedding store -making things much cheaper.

Here is an elegant cake from sedonaweddingcakes.com. The stylistic wedding cake topper is very classy and the black sugar roses are a nice touch. This cake would coordinate well with tables decorated with crisp white linens and black cloth napkins with white polka dots. This is another way to save money – some venues include white linens in their rental fee. If not, party rental companies usually charge less for white linens than for the colored specialty linens. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you can sew the cloth napkins your self. Don’t forget to launder them and iron them before the big day – a perfect job to delegate to a helpful friend, auntie, or even grandmother.

Wear something a bit racy under that demure white dress, like this black garter available from bachelorettesuperstore.com.

Your engagement ring or wedding ring could tie in to the color scheme as well, like this ring featuring black and white diamonds.

Or, wear some dark shoes and gloves with your dress for contrast! You could also add these accessories for the reception, particularly if you are having the event in the evening.

For example, here is a beautiful Alfred Angelo dress that would be perfect for a church wedding.

And here are some items to glam it up afterwards!

Black Shoes

Long Black Gloves

Like these ones from buycostumes.com.

A fascinating fascinator from folksy.com.

All of the ideas in this article would work for any color – imagine red as an accent instead of black. A little black purse would work, too (a bride needs somewhere to stash her lipstick too). A beaded drawstring purse would look great with the accessories above, perhaps a vintage purse – a great gift idea for the maid of honor to give to her best friend!

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Jack and Jill parties are getting more popular every year but there seems to be some confusion about what this means.

Actually, the term can mean a few different things (some are x-rated) but here we are going to focus on Jack and Jill parties as they relate to weddings!

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Jack and Jill wedding events – basic guidelines

1. The bride and groom are both guests of honor (thus the name).

2. The event is not usually a surprise – the couple may even be involved in the planning.

Jack and Jill Shower

One type of Jack and Jill wedding event is the Jack and Jill shower (in fact there are also Jack and Jill baby showers, too). Contemporary couples think to themselves, ‘why should the bride have all the fun?’

This mixed shower is also great for couples who share the same group of friends or brides who have lots of male friends. The traditional dainty pastries and semi-formal clothing of a bridal shower is replaced by a barbeque, picnic, or house party with blender drinks, beer, and food that will appeal to everyone.

Gifts are ‘his and hers’ items or things that will appeal to both of them, or may be intended to tie in to the party’s theme. Sometimes cash gifts are requested but this isn’t very common and is not really appropriate (requesting gift cards is more acceptable) – see our etiquette tips below for more exceptions to this rule.

Jack and Jill Stag or Bachelor Party

Again, these parties work well if the couple shares the same group of friends. If not, make sure the bride’s friends and the groom’s friends will mix well together (this isn’t always the case).

The venue for this type of Jack and Jill may also be a house party or barbeque, but could also take place at a bar or even take place over a weekend excursion of some kind (camping, renting a houseboat, trip to Las Vegas…).

Jack and Jill Fundraiser

More recently, the Jack and Jill party has been used as an event to raise money for the couple’s wedding expenses. Today many couples pay for their own weddings rather than receiving a budget from the bride’s parents. The maid of honor and best man (or some other family/friend) organizes the event and all proceeds go towards the wedding (or honeymoon) budget. In some cases, the bride and groom organize the event themselves.

Examples: A casino night, a sports tournament (golf, foozball), or a poker tournament. Other options: guests pay a flat fee for drink tickets and a chance to win door prizes at a bar or organizers put a package together for an outing (refreshments, chartered bus, tickets to a concert or game) and build in a profit margin. Popular games for fundraisers are: casino-style games (with play money and prizes for the biggest winners), 50-50 draws, and coin tosses. Wine lotteries can also raise a lot of money (if friends and family are all wine drinkers).

Etiquette:

It is more appropriate to organize a fun event to pay for a wedding than to directly ask family and friends for money, unless the event is raising money for one specific aspect of the event. For example, asking guests not to bring gifts but placing a jar at the Jack and Jill party for donations to the couple’s honeymoon fund is okay. Asking guests to come to the party with extra bottles for the reception so that the couple can provide an open bar might also work. Asking for cash to pay for the wedding rings is not appropriate – these items should be paid for by the wedding couple or their families. Likewise, raising money for anything considered overly extravagant (an ice sculpture, release of doves, etc) would be in poor judgment – it’s important to remember that attending a wedding can already be quite expensive: guests often have to pay for travel expenses, lodging, appropriate attire, the wedding gift, etc.

theplatelady.com

Other definitions of Jack and Jill:

1. A nursery rhyme

2. A cash register.

3. Slang term for the drug Ecstasy.

4. A bathroom that connects two bedrooms.

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The sun pokes out for a few minutes and we begin to feel like Spring is just around the corner. Spring is a wonderful time for weddings because it is the symbol of new beginnings.

Favors

These bright bottle stoppers from InCasaGifts.com would make nice favors.

Here’s a great way to stick to a tight wedding budget, these butterflies act as both place card holders and wedding favors. Don’t forget to remind your guests to take them home, they can use them to display a photo. Even better, they are currently on sale for only 97 cents each and they are actually useful! (I’m a bit biased against favors that end up cluttering guests homes…) I love the tablecloth they are using in the photo as well – very springy!

Butterflies are a great Spring theme for a wedding that carry over into all areas of the event. For example, you could give your Maid of Honor a necklace for all of her help (and she could wear it at the wedding!)

Decorations

Branches or live trees that are budding are great symbols of Spring, and beautiful decorations too. Here’s an example of a wedding invitation made by artist Kathryn Rotondo, check out her other stuff at her Etsy shop. When you get your invitations made, ask if they are able to make you place cards, signs, or even tablecloths with the same design. If not, perhaps they can send you the image so that you can do it yourself.

Kids Area

Your younger guests would appreciate some activities to keep them busy during the reception. Here are some ideas:

MarthaStewart.com – let them create their own centrepieces, like these sweet tissue cherry blossoms.

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