My Big Fat Engagement – Engagement Advice & Warnings

In the world of design, Pantone has been the standard for colour since the 1950′s. Since Pantone’s sale in 2007, however, the company has become a household name, selling everything from iPhone apps to color block notebooks. Pantone’s Color of the Year, Tangerine Tango, is from their Spring wedding color line-up. Here are some ways to use this cutting edge hue in your wedding this year.

Dressed for Success

The Dessy Group makes it easy for you to Pantone your wedding with their easy to use website. You can order swatches of your wedding colours to distribute to all your wedding needs suppliers to make sure all the tones match. You can also create styleboards including inspirational images and colors, and order dresses to make sure your dream wedding pops. Pair this rich-hued bridesmaids’ dress in with a gorgeous diamond necklace.

Flower Power

Ranunculus are a great flower choice for tangerine dreams of your wedding day. If you’re looking for more subtle tones as your main wedding colors, these bouquet and boutonnieres look great against lighter colors. The warm tone looks wonderful if you’ve chosen yellow gold for your wedding rings.

All Made Up

Sephora has collaborated with Pantone to create a line of make up in celebration of the color of the year as well. Whether you’re coordinating your nail color to your bridesmaids’ dresses or looking for a gift for the women in your wedding party that will remind them of your special day, check out their collection. These nail shades will definitely help draw attention to your beautiful wedding and engagement ring on your big day.

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Brilliant Boutonnieres

The French word boutonniere means ‘buttonhole.’ In the past, men often wore a single flower or bud in the button hole of the left lapel on their jackets. Today, these floral decorations are reserved for special occasions, such as weddings. I’ve collected some interesting boutonniere ideas for modern weddings and you will notice only one of them uses a real flower. For a classic elegance, a red rose bud on a black tuxedo never goes out of style.

Film Buff Boutonniere

This boutonniere looks like a flower but is actually made out of film. It is masculine, pays tribute to the groom’s personality or interests, and would work well in a vintage-inspired wedding (from bridalinquirer.com)

Button Boutonniere

Button Boutonniere by Sweet Pea Floral Design of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Check out their website and blog for fantastic floral inspiration as well. sweetpeafloral.com

Yellow Boutonniere

Surprisingly, I found this exotic orchid boutonniere on academy-florists.com, a florist based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. These bright yellow orchid boutonnieres are elegant and fun at the same time – perfect for a summer wedding, just like a platinum wedding band. These unique-looking flowers are Mokara orchids, a hybrid orchid originating in Singapore, the bright yellow Mokara orchids pop perfectly from a dark navy suit.

Pinwheel Boutonniere

This pinwheel is an interesting spin on the boutonniere. I can’t imagine it sharing space with anything other than a bow tie, can you? This boutonniere was featured on Ruffled (ruffledblog.com), a source of inspiration for vintage brides planning their weddings.

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If your home is filled with velvet upholstered furniture made out of solid hardwood, or you prefer to find your decor accents on Etsy Vintage rather than a big-box store, you may be looking for a more retro wedding gown. Here are some classic celebrity looks that may interest the more mid-century minded bride.

Audrey Hepburn

While this look was from the movie, “Funny Face”, rather than her own dress, it’s still a figure-flattering, era-specific look.

Here’s a longer, more modern interpretation of the style. The dress doesn’t rely on Audrey’s tiny frame or corsetry, but achieves the same effect. If you’re looking for wedding day jewelry that won’t compete with this pretty neckline, try this diamond bracelet on for size. It’s a classic piece that pairs well with a simple yet elegant gown.

Grace Kelly

Princess Grace’s wedding dress was no doubt an inspiration for Kate Middleton’s wedding attire last year, and it’s no wonder. Grace Kelly was known for her grace and poise, and her dress was well matched to her persona.

This substitute is available as a pattern through Vogue Bridal, making your dress economical as well as stylish and unique. This dress captures the same feeling and lines 0f the Princess of Monaco’s wedding gown while still staying contemporary. With all the lovely detail on this dress there’s hardly need for much jewelry, but this traditionally styled diamond wedding ring will stand out, regardless.

Jackie Kennedy

Another iconic bride was the beautiful, soft-spoken Jackie Kennedy. Her dress was full and ornate, but still retaining subtlety.

This is an elegant interpretation of Jackie’s wedding dress, without the skirt detailing and pleats. It’s a fabulous gown for an evening wedding. Here’s a classic pearl necklace to draw more attention to the stunning bodice without overpowering it.

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If you’re a romantic at heart and plan to propose marriage this February 14th, here are some ways to sweep her off her feet in the process.

Sentimental Spots

Great ideas of a location for a proposal are those “first spots”: where you had your first kiss, your first date, where you met. A great way to ask for her hand at your favorite restaurant is to pre-order dessert and ask them to write “Will You Marry Me?” in with chocolate sauce, raspberry couli, or some other plate decoration. When dessert’s presented, pull out this beautiful ring and say those words out loud. Here’s a wonderful diamond engagement ring you can give her that has a beautiful matching wedding band.

Romantic Spa Surprise

Most spas have special Valentine’s Day couples package. Many are well versed in proposals as well. If you’re stuck for ideas on how to spring the surprise, check with the spa when booking your package. They may even be able to set something special up for you for when it’s time for you to give her this gorgeous modern engagement ring.

Ring Bearer’s Bowl Keepsake

Instead of flowers or chocolate, make her sweetheart’s gift one of these beautiful keepsakes from Paloma’s Nest. Tie her ring to it before wrapping it up. Once she’s opened it and the sentiment has sunk in, drop down on one knee and ask her the Big Question.
After using as a ring bearer dish at your wedding, it can also be used to set your rings in at bed time. This diamond engagement ring is perfect for a woman with traditional tastes.

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If you, or your partner, popped the question over the holidays, and you’re trying to find a fun way to spring the news on your friends and family, here are some novel ways to share the news with those you love!

Start a Wedding Blog

A great way to announce your upcoming nuptials is to start a website for your wedding. It’s an easy way to keep your wedding party and guests informed about the special day and it’s upcoming events. Send an email to all, post the link on your favorite social networking site (remember to adjust your privacy settings!), and let the web do the rest. Look for free blog publishing services that have tutorials on how to start your own blog. WordPress has this beautiful wedding theme ready to be customized:

If you’re still in the market for an engagement ring due to an impromptu proposal, here’s a beautiful, modern diamond ring for you. The recessed stone style is great if you work with your hands but still want to flash your engagement ring.

Photo Album

If you got engaged while on vacation, you probably have photos to prove it. Make a photo album with some of your favorite shots of the two of you. The final page can let your loved ones know the fabulous news and the date, if you’ve already set one. There are many websites that let you build your own photo albums. Then they print them, bind them and send them to you! Impressive yet easy.

If you want the world to know the groom-to-be is all yours, consider a men’s diamond engagement ring.

Throw a Party!

Have your friends and family over for a cocktail party and surprise them with the sweet news in the form of these tasty treats from beau-coup.com.

When it comes time to pick out your wedding bands, consider this beautiful wedding ring to pair with her engagement ring above.

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In our daily lives, eco-conscious choices are more widely available than ever. From what we eat, to cleaning products, to home furnishings and clothing-  the same is true for honeymoon options. Many travelers now purchase carbon offsets to ease their conscience when flying, but here are some other ways to honeymoon that will create meaningful memories and reflect your green lifestyle.

Voluntourism

Give back to the global community by doing meaningful work on your honeymoon. Consider building a home for with Habitat for Humanity in Thailand (or anywhere, really), making pottery and crafts in Guadalajara, or combine a surf trip with working with underprivileged youth in Coastal Peru.

Christmas is the time for giving! You can make it easy for your wedding guests by asking them to make donations to the voluntourism organization you’ll be participating in, instead of buying wedding gift.

Honeymoon gifts are beautiful keepsakes that will recall your special moments. Here’s a silver bracelet you can have engraved for her. She’ll be reminded of your special trip each time she wears the jewelry.

Eco-Adventures

After your Christmas wedding, spend your honeymoon enjoying nature and soaking up some Southern hemisphere sun! Many of the companies that book eco-adventure vacations have educational components so you can learn more about the ecology of the region. Here are some ideas:

• Visit the cloud forests in Monteverde, Costa Rica
• Hike Tongariro National Park & World Heritage Site in New Zealand
• Go canyon tubing in Indonesia
• Take a tiger photography tour in India

For many, living green also means ethical responsibility. If this is a must for you, here’s the perfect engagement ring! It’s made using recycled precious metals and conflict-free diamonds. Here’s a gorgeous worry-free engagement ring for her that pairs with the wedding bands below.

Green Resorts

If you’re looking for luxury without compromising your values, look for an eco-conscious resort or hotel. There are many options worldwide, and the internet has a wealth of information on green-certified hotels. Take a look at this Coastal Living slideshow for some great ideas.

You can also stand up for the environment by choosing a set of these beveled wedding bands made with HARMONY Recycled Precious Metals.

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For many, Thanksgiving is about tradition and family. That makes it a perfect time for you to exchange wedding rings in the company of those you both love most. Celebrate your marriage in style while making memories extra festive with these holiday touches.

Bouquets

Adding red or burgundy flowers and light, bright colored foliage to your bouquet adds a special holiday touch to your walk down the aisle. Choosing a smaller bouquet or more compact design also allows more attention to be drawn to your beautiful dress, jewelry, and engagement ring. The unique bronze calla lily arrangement pictured above is available from Walter Knoll, a Saint Louis MO florist, with 10 convenient locations.

Tables and Centerpieces

Bring the season to your table with elegant natural accents. Evergreen branches, holly and mistletoe sprigs, pinecones, nut and gourds are great for building centerpieces and arrangements. They also add fabulous texture and depth to warm fall wedding colors. This beautiful pumpkin centerpiece is available from the Verrill Farm in Concord Massachusetts, if you live in the area.

Wedding Rings

This wedding ring has it all: a modern classic, with a touch of simple, heirloom beauty. It’s beautiful enough to stand on its own, but versatile enough to let your engagement ring shine bright. The white gold is also perfect for a wintery wedding.

Thanksgiving Themed Beverages

Serve your friends and family deliciously different seasonal cocktails and drinks. Impress them with pumpkin ale, porter, cabernet franc and cidertinis. And a warm spiced cider will keep away that fall evening chill! Check out The Jolly Fox blog for their Pumpkin Ale Round Up.

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Many newly married couples already have their households set up, so giving them a toaster or a place setting as a wedding gift is becoming increasingly obsolete. Whether they have been living alone, already living together, or have been previously married – their wedding gift wish list will be different from the young engaged couple who are moving into their very first home of their own.

Of course, many engaged couples still register at a department store – there will be items they want as they combine their households. However, this list is often shorter than the traditional newlyweds (who would need everything). The guest list can easily be longer than their wish list, so gift selection can be a challenge. Here are some unique ideas:

A Literate LOL

If your two favorite brainiacs are finally getting hitched, you might consider buying them both a t-shirt subscription from The McSweeney’s store. Two subscriptions will mean that they will receive 6 matching t-shirts over the course of the year – the shirts are designed by artists and are the perfect gift for your highbrow Mr and Mrs. Plus, the fact that they will have 6 sets of matching shirts by the end of the year is just very funny – perfect practice for when they wear matching leisure suits as an old married couple.

Mr and Mrs Memory

If your friends always have the latest version of iPhone and spend a lot of time at their computers, you might consider these cute Flash drives available from Rakuten as a gift. Affordably priced, they would also make a great wedding shower or engagement party gift. Or, they could accompany a gift card.

A Bicycle Built For Two

Another unique gift: a tandem bicycle. The one below is from American bike company KHS Bicycles- they have 3 different styles to choose from:

There are many options if you want to give a unique wedding gift. It’s a good idea to start thinking about gift ideas as soon as you see an engagement ring on your friend’s finger. Don’t leave it to the last minute!

Have you given a unique wedding gift or are you looking for more ideas? Please let us know in the comments:

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‘Fall’ In Love With These Awesome Autumn Wedding Styles

Wow, is it September again? My Big Fat Engagement is celebrating it’s 4th year of articles about engagements and weddings! Today we’re going to look at some colorful and beautiful ways to celebrate a wedding with the warm colours that decorate nature when the weather begins to cool down.

Autumn Wedding Favors

This ‘fall in love’ wedding favor is a collection of leaves made out of soap from yourultimateweddingfavors.com. This ‘leaves’ open the door to so many decorative options: from leaf print table linens to orange and red hued candle centerpieces with leaves around the base. The bride might even walk down an aisle scattered with beautiful autumn leaves instead of flowers – it is non-traditional, but visually striking- particularly if the wedding is taking place in one of the states so well known for their fall foliage.

Bridesmaid Dresses for Fall

Picture your bridesmaids and your flower girl in brown dresses. It might be hard to imagine until you see a picture like the one below (dresses from jaksflowergirldresses.com).

Fall Wedding Jewelry

Yellow gold is the perfect choice for wedding rings for a Fall wedding or for an Autumn engagement ring, like the one pictured below. The leaf inspired design on the ring makes it perfect for a Fall wedding or Autumn wedding proposal. For many of us September is more about new beginnings than New Year’s Eve – it is the time of the year most associated with significant changes to our lives (first day of school, moving out of state to go to University, beginning a new job after graduating and then taking the summer off to travel…). It just feels natural to start a new life as a married couple in the same month. As an added bonus, venue rentals and other vendors are less busy (and potentially less expensive).

Fall Wedding Flowers

Another popular color for weddings in September, October, or  November is orange.

For more awesome Autumn wedding ideas, check out our post Fall In Love With These Autumn Wedding Ideas.

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The songs played during the wedding reception are important and the song choice for the first dance deserves even more attention. However, I think the most important wedding song decision every couple makes is the decision about what song should be playing during the procession. This is the part of the ceremony where the bride appears and then walks down the aisle. The songs played before this song provide an atmosphere, but the song that propels the bride down the aisle sets the tone for the whole wedding.

Traditional

The traditional wedding march we are all familiar with hearing is actually the Wedding March from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The composer wrote the song for Shakespeare’s play in 1842. Five years later, it was used at a real wedding for the first time- but it didn’t become popular until Queen Victoria’s daughter (also named Victoria, and a huge Mendelssohn fan) used it at her own wedding in 1858.

Hippily Ever After

This song would be a beautiful wedding song for a garden wedding. I would choose to play an instrumental version for the procession and then have my hippie guitarist uncle perform and sing it during the ceremony too.

Fairytale Wedding

Brides who want to feel like a princess on their big day, can start the procession off with the Trumpet Voluntary (‘Prince of Denmark’s March) by Jeremiah Clarke. This is the song that was used during Lady Diana Spenser’s bridal procession. Another popular song to use for the entry of the bride is Wagner’s Bridal Chorus.

Endless Love

This song was very popular as a wedding song 25 years ago. It may be time for it to make a comeback.

Aisle Never Forget It

After much deliberation, I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of this one- my niece actually played it on the piano- but I picked it because of the lyrics.

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