R2
Friday, February 21, 2014
CELEBRATIONS
DOWN THE AISLE,
’20s style From ‘Downton’ to ‘Gatsby,’ brides take cues from historic trends By Taya Flores | tflores@jconline.com
W
hen Lady Mary walked down the “Downton Abbey” estate’s majestic steps in her lace wedding gown during the Season 3 premiere of the PBS hit last January, it stopped the show’s aristocratic characters in their tracks. The gown, elegantly embellished with delicate pearls, Swarovski crystals and a stunning diamond tiara, was a true testament to ’20s high fashion. But that sense of style doesn’t have to be relegated to the past. From chiffon sleeves that flutter to hair pieces that dress, ’20s inspiration is apparent in this year’s array of bridal trends for Greater Lafayette. See TWENTIES, Next Page
This year’s wedding dress trends pull inspiration from ‘20s fashion, with flowing chiffon, beads, lace and a relaxed fit. JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER
ON THE COVER Robi Simms models bridal fashions from The Bridal Boutique & Mr. Penguin Tuxedo at Duncan Hall. JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER
CELEBRATIONS
Friday, February 21, 2014
R3
Robi Simms models a wedding dress that embodies the ethereal, free-flowing style of the 1920s. JOHN TERHUNE/JOURNAL & COURIER
TWENTIES from Page 2
“Downton Abbey” isn’t the only pop culture phenomenon fueling the trend, either. Baz Luhrmann’s decadent cinematic rendition of “The Great Gatsby,” released in theaters last May, has also set the tone. “A lot of people lately have been doing that as a theme,” said Julie Sander, buyer at The Bridal Boutique & Mr. Penguin Tuxedo in Lafayette. Emily Pettit, assistant manager at David’s Bridal in Lafayette, said many details of current dresses pull inspiration from ’20s fashion, including flowing chiffon fabric, beads, lace and a relaxed fit. “They were getting away from structure to more relaxed styles,” Pettit said. “They didn’t have to wear those corsets.” The loose structure was freeing then and it’s freeing now, Pettit said. “Being comfortable is a big
thing,” she added. “We want our brides to be comfortable.” She said the Gatsby trend has opened the door to liberating trends where brides can relax and have fun with their gowns. Other trends for spring 2014 include soft champagne and blush-colored gowns and dresses inspired by impressionism or watercolor patterns. The Bridal Boutique & Mr. Penguin Tuxedo carries ’20sinspired dresses such as a softnet capelet or net overlay over a sleeveless gown. The look can also be found in the fabric manipulation as seen in a dress that has a ruched bodice, flutter sleeves and jeweled appliqués, which accent the curves of the woman’s figure. The dresses are ethereal and classic with a sense of high elegance. Both Sander and Kelli Goldsmith, store manager at David’s Bridal in Lafayette, said brides are replacing traditional veils with ’20s-inspired hair pieces that showcase soft waves and heirloom glamor.
“I call it hair candy,” Goldsmith said. “They are wearing it more down toward the forehead. It’s much more of a head dressing.” Goldsmith said jewelry has gone more vintage too, taking on the appearance of pieces passed down through the gener-
ations. Pettit said the accessories and jewelry can allow brides to add glimpses of Gatsby glamor without overdoing it. “You can really have a ‘Great Gatsby’ look without making it look like (you) have taken it from the movie,” she said.
R4
Friday, February 21, 2014
CELEBRATIONS
WHERE TO BUY AND SELL SMARTY HAD A PARTY
www.smartyhadaparty.com/ Buy or Sell: Buy Great for: Linens and tableware
ANN’S BRIDAL BARGAINS
annsbridalbargains.com/ Buy or Sell: Buy Great for: Invitations and stationery
ETSY
www.etsy.com/browse/weddings Buy or sell: Both Great for: Anything with a homemade feel
EBAY
www.ebay.com/sch/Wedding-Supplies Buy or sell: Both Great for: Easy sales and great deals
By Lauren Sedam lsedam@jconline.com
Y
ou’ve got the dress, the bouquet and the matching centerpieces on the tables, with chairs tied with bows in a specific shade. But when the “I dos” are done and the cake is cut, what are you going to do with all that stuff? The struggle of what to ditch and what to keep can be a confusing and expensive debate, from the planning to after the honeymoon. But it doesn’t have to be. Wedding planners and former brides say with dozens of options, it’s easy to strike the right balance for any ceremony. One option, of course, is to rent some things for the celebration. Sandy Saltsman, owner of Celebrations, which serves an area from Lafayette to Valparaiso, said that’s an option she offers for her brides. They have a wide selection of things such as centerpieces, flower arrangements and photo booth backdrops that brides might not want to invest in themselves. It serves to give a bride an almost all-inclusive experience, Saltsman said, and there’s plenty of variety to make the wedding feel like their own. That’s the route taken by Reagan Collins, who was married in her hometown of Rensselaer. She and her husband invited about 300 people to the event, she said, so it wasn’t worth the expense to purchase hordes of
décor items she wouldn’t reuse. In addition to cost, Collins said, renting was hassle-free. She knew the décor would simply show up, allowing her to relax. “It was nice not to have to set anything up,” she said. “I really wanted to enjoy that time with family.” Some brides, however, feel like they can get a deal or want to put a personal touch on the décor by buying it themselves, said Taia Alvarado, owner of White Willow Events. Afterward, Saltsman said, many brides turn to the Internet to sell pieces they don’t need, like chair sashes. “There’s lot of places to look at other people’s used things,” Saltsman said. If things coordinate, sellers can offer them as a package deal, she said, and brides who are planning can often get steals if they have the same colors or taste. Alvarado recommended sites such as Smarty Had a Party to buy linens, Ann’s Bridal Bargains for invitations and eBay and Etsy to buy and sell. Saltsman added that if she and her planning team really like an item, they might make a bride an offer, or the bride might consider donating the pieces to a church or venue. Some brides might even use those methods to donate or sell their dress.
But for Collins, the dress fell under the category of things she definitely wanted to save. It was dirty and damaged in places after the party, she said, and her mother had it cleaned See HAVE, Next Page
WEDDING RECYCLE
wedding-recycle.com Buy or sell: Both Great for: Décor items, searchable by city, color and type
BRAVO BRIDE
www.bravobride.com Buy or sell: Both Great for: Dresses and accessories
CELEBRATIONS
Friday, February 21, 2014
Do’s and don’ts as a wedding guest Blum notes a resurgence of women wearing white to weddings, and says brides don’t appreciate that on their big day in white.
By Lisa A. Flam Associated Press
O
f Tiffany Schutt’s 250 wedding guests, one surely stood out. Not only was she not invited, but the young guest, a relative with whom the couple wasn’t particularly close, turned up in a white dress — and a short and sexy one at that. In fact, she was one of five uninvited relatives whose names were added to invited guests’ response cards. Schutt, who married in Indianapolis, was flattered but also in disbelief that they so badly wanted to attend. “We are very laid-back, thankfully, so that day I took it in stride,” she said. “It just seemed not to be the best etiquette.” When it comes to manners, experts say wedding guests do well overall but are still causing headaches on a few fronts. “The No. 1 thing that I hear about from frustrated brides is guests not RSVPing, not RSVPing on time or RSVPing for more than one person,” said Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and co-author of the upcoming new edition of “Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette” (William Morrow). “It’s all about the RSVP.” Besides RSVPs, another etiquette trouble spot is smartphones — in particular, those guests who crowd the aisle to take pictures and then post the images online before the ceremony is
GIFTS Some regional traditions may call for bringing the gift to the wedding, but experts say that in general they are best sent ahead of time, avoiding the possibility of theft and the hassle for the couple of hauling them home. If not, a gift should be sent within three months, Post says. THINKSTOCK
even over, scooping the couple’s wedding photographer. “A bride is very particular about how she looks at her wedding, and she does not want the photo that isn’t the most possible flattering photo to be all over Facebook before she gets to look at her wedding shots,” New York wedding planner Marcy Blum said. Keeping guests from snapping away at the reception, though, may be a losing fight, Post says, though couples can ask guests to refrain from posting the photos online. Other do’s and don’ts for guests:
DRESS Don’t be too informal, and avoid wearing anything that’s too sexy, too over-the-top or too white.
BEHAVIOR Arrive early, and stay to dance, mingle and converse at dinner. “Being social and engaged is one of the best ways to be a good guest, along with not getting too drunk, or drunk period,” Post says.
TOASTS Toasts to the couples can get out of hand if guests, sometimes tipsy ones, start asking for the microphone. Proper form says guests should not speak unless they are asked or receive permission. Despite reality shows sensationalizing crazy wedding behavior, Blum says guests do seem better behaved today. “There’s something about a wedding that for the most part,” she says, “brings out the best in people.”
R5
HAVE from Page 4
and preserved for her. “I think the most important things are … the things you can never replace,” she said. Whether brides primarily rent or buy items, Saltsman and Alvarado said, there are also options for the things they choose to keep. “Pinterest really gives brides a lot of things to do with things,” Saltsman said. Alvarado said she usually recommends that brides keep their cake topper, champagne flutes and unity candles to display and use on their anniversaries. If they have a nice vase from a centerpiece, she said, that can be used any time they get flowers in the future. “It’s a keepsake,” she said. Brides also might make a shadow box out of a save the date, invitation and bouquet petals, Saltsman said. Collins, in fact, had the petals put into ornaments. When it comes down to it, they all agreed: The rule is simply to weigh carefully what matters most and let that dictate what to buy, rent and keep. “It’s whatever is important to the bride,” Alvarado said.
R6
Friday, February 21, 2014
CELEBRATIONS
CELEBRATIONS
Friday, February 21, 2014 R7
R8
Friday, February 21, 2014
CELEBRATIONS
A GROOM’S GUIDE to getting involved (sort of) By Dan Zevin | Associated Press
G
enerations ago, planning a wedding was 100 percent the bride’s job, but in today’s age of gender equity, it’s a mere 99 percent. ¶ Yes, we modern men are more involved than ever, but many of us are still left wondering, “How can I take a more active role in the stress and panic of planning the happiest day of my life?” ¶ Gentlemen, you’ve come to the right guy.
Groom Job 1: Plan the menu When it comes to cuisine, the crucial question is: cash bar or open bar? Once you’ve chosen the latter, tackle other mealrelated matters. Will you keep your open bar open throughout the reception or for the first hour only? (Hint: throughout the reception.) What about hors d’oeuvres? Will your guests be sipping them through bottles, glasses or cans? Remember, you can’t please everyone. Therefore, it’s best to inscribe BYOB under RSVP on your wedding invitations. You may also want to consider serving some food.
Groom Job 2: Book the music Wedding musicians are expensive, so cut costs by asking your groomsmen to lip synch and air guitar to a playlist you’ll download from iTunes. Alternatively, you can hire a deejay. A deejay is an individual who sees your wedding as an opportunity to act out his fantasies of being Eddie Van Halen, Rock God, by dancing in place to all his favorite hits. Remind him that it is your special day, not his. Inform him that the song you’ve chosen for your first dance isn’t actually “Hot For Teacher.” Request that he blend into the background, perhaps by streaming his set to the dance floor from his booth in the banquet hall boiler room.
Groom Job 3: Manage the Guest List. Tradition dictates that the groom cut everyone off his list to make more room for his bride’s
list. This is easier than it sounds. Just review all the people on your list and think of one reason not to invite them. Let’s start with your best man, “Bob.” Remember that time “Bob” borrowed your drill and returned it without recharging the battery? Put a big red slash through “Bob’s” name right now. Before you know it, the only one left on your list will be you. To demonstrate what a generous husband you’ll be, cut yourself from the list, too. Dude, you’ll be spending the rest of your life with your bride. Is it really going to kill you if you’re not together on one lousy day?
Groom Job 4: Help register for gifts From the male point of view, there are three kinds of gifts: 1. things you already have; 2. things you don’t need; and 3. bowls. To help your guests select stuff you actually want, you may be tempted to register at offbeat places like Sports Authority and Home Depot. This is fine as long as you realize that no one’s going to get you anything from these places. They are going to get you bowls. So go help your bride pick out punch bowls, bisque bowls, bowls to hold other bowls. If you don’t, you’ll miss out on the most rewarding groom job of all: returning them for a full cash refund as soon as you get back from your honeymoon.
Groom Job 5: Plan the honeymoon Choosing a destination typically falls to the man, which explains why many couples are slapped with steep penalty fees
Groom Jim Mallon, second right, enjoys singer Gedeon McKinney and the Uptown Swing Band he hired through GMS Management for his wedding to his bride, Alana Mallon, during the reception in New Rochelle, N.Y. AP
upon cancelling their flights to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Remember, your honeymoon is a time to rest, to recuperate, to experience the phenomenon of everyone being uncharacteristically nice to you. Groom: Excuse me, flight attendant, do you think we can have two peanuts instead of one?
Flight Attendant: What does this look like, Chez Panisse? Groom: We are on our honeymoon. Flight Attendant: Right this way to first class, you adorable honeymooners! Do you prefer Moet or Veuve Clicquot with your caviar? Here’s to the happy couple!
CELEBRATIONS
Friday, February 21, 2014
FAVORS
for wedding guests get personal, creative By Lisa A. Flam | Associated Press
Cupcake Novelties makes bride and groom wedding cake pops for the big day. AP
R9
J
illian Mackey had seen wedding favors that seemed like an afterthought, and she knew she did not want to give one of those — an impractical trinket that would likely get tossed in the trash or thrown in a drawer. So during her year-long engagement to Jason Simms, the couple picked blackberries, strawberries and rhubarb in Oregon, where they lived; gathered cactus pears in New Mexico, where he grew up; and plucked blueberries and apricots when they relocated to her home state, Connecticut. By the time they married on Aug. 2 in New Haven, Conn., the bride, who learned to make jam as a girl, had turned their bounty into dozens of jars of jam for their 135 wedding guests. The idea was to create a favor that was personalized and different, “something I could really feel came from us as a couple, that we had actually put time and effort into,” Jillian Simms said. The wedding favor — that little thank-you-for-coming gift — has risen to new heights. “It’s not just Jordan almonds and chocolate truffles anymore,” said Jennifer Condon, wedding style and registry director for Brides magazine. “It’s anything that’s See FAVORS, Next Page
R10
Friday, February 21, 2014
CELEBRATIONS
Round Pond Estate’s mini olive oils and vinegars include Extra Virgin Estate Italian Varietal Olive Oil; Extra Virgin Estate Spanish Varietal Olive Oil, Estate Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, Merlot-Cabernet Estate Vinegar and Sangiovese-Nebbiolo Estate Vinegar. AP
Cupcake Novelties offers peacock feather wedding cupcakes. The wedding favor, that little thank-you-for-coming gift, has risen to new heights with the bride and groom giving guests a wide range of favors. AP
FAVORS from Page 9
meaningful to the bride and groom. It’s really anything goes with favors.” With so many choices, made even more numerous with personalization and online inspiration, favors have become more specific to the couple, their wedding theme or the venue. “It used to be more tchotchketype items — candles, bottle stoppers, picture frames — just really generic things that you can get in bulk easily without putting too much thought into it,” said Amy Frugoli, a wedding planner in San Jose, Calif. “And now it’s more personalized, wellthought-out and usable items.” Great favors nowadays include food and photos — things that guests can enjoy immediately and that aren’t “going to clutter their house,” said Frugoli, who also co-owns a sweets company. When the party is over, guests can find bags and containers to fill with decorated cookies, candy from a colorful buffet, popcorn in fun flavors or the fixings for s’mores. “It goes back to a nostalgia thing,” said Frugoli. “People are looking for a lot of comfort food and fun things.” Baked goods — cake pops, pie pops and cupcakes — can be
decorated to fit a theme or color scheme. Heartier fare, like pizza and crepes, is sometimes served up after a night of drinking and dancing. “We’ve been seeing a lot of people doing a food truck at end of the night,” Condon said. “As guests are leaving, they can pick up a midnight snack for the ride home.” Foodie couples may give a gourmet gift, such as an herbinfused salt or a small bottle of wine, or vinegar or olive oil in a distinctive flavor. Couples with a cooking specialty might offer homemade goodies, often with custom labels and packaging. Frugoli recalls a groom who made his famous barbecue sauce; a couple that gave honey, and another that did marinated olives. “If there’s something they’re known for or they do well or they want to share with people, I’m seeing them make their own stuff,” she said. Instant gratification also comes by way of the photo favor, a strip of pictures from a photo booth, an instant photo that gets popped into a frame, or a flip book made from a short video taken at the event, sometimes with silly props. The bridal couple often gets a copy of the images too. “They get to see everybody, like Grandma in a moustache and glasses,” said Frugoli. A favor can also do double
Jam favors were made by Jillian Simms for guests at the wedding of Jillian and Jason Simms. AP
duty. “Instead of one large centerpiece, a bride will do eight tiny little vases that create a centerpiece together, and each person takes one home as a favor,” Condon said. Or there might be picture frames holding the table numbers. Frugoli has seen couples grow “braver,” more willing to eschew tradition and give what feels right to them. Those with an
outdoor ceremony in a cool setting might give fleece blankets; others might hand out hangover kits with mints and pain reliever. Or they can customize a drink cozy or tin of tea. “The result is phenomenal,” Frugoli said. “They feel happy giving those things out because it has a purpose. The guests are happy because they are getting something fun, cool and unique.” As she labeled the half-pint jars of jam with her guests’ names and table numbers, Simms, 30, gave each guest a flavor she felt would be special to them. “I got a really good reaction,” she said. “Each person had something that was clearly made just for them.” And how does Frugoli know that guests appreciate these modern favors? “They actually take them,” she said. “You can always tell when it’s a bad favor when you find a bunch at the end of the night.”
CELEBRATIONS
Friday, February 21, 2014
R11
Ethnic menus: Hotels loosen rules on outside food
Payal Agrawal and Sanjay Divakaran had their wedding at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston. Couples wishing to have ethnic food as part of their wedding celebration at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston are able to use outside caterers. AP By Melissa Kossler Dutton Associated Press
M
ariam Hashimi and her husband, Munis Alkouz, chose the hotel for their November wedding reception mainly for one reason: It allowed them to use a local caterer to bring in the traditional Afghan rice and meat dishes that hotel chefs often aren’t trained to prepare. “For our weddings, food is really important,” said Hashimi, who grew up in an Afghan immigrant family and lives in Albuquerque, N.M. She had her reception at the Sheraton Uptown Hotel there. Many hotels and banquet halls have begun permitting brides and grooms to hire outside caterers and work with local restaurants to serve menus reflecting a wider range of cultures and cuisines. It’s a change from the long-held practice of insisting that customers use only in-house
food choices, said Sharon Ringier, president of the Chicago chapter of the Event Planners Association. “They don’t want to miss out on the revenue,” Ringier said. “It’s better to accommodate (customers).” That’s good news for couples wishing to serve ethnic foods at wedding receptions. Venues typically charge customers an outside catering fee that covers use of the venue’s equipment and staff, who still have to set up the room and clean up after the party. The Sheraton Uptown in Albuquerque started allowing guests to contract with outside caterers for weddings, bar mitzvahs and other special events about two years ago, said catering sales manager Cindy Martinez. Specifically, it was the demand for traditional Indian food that prompted the change, she said. “Indian weddings tend to be
very large. They’re nice events,” Martinez said. “They generate good revenue.” The hotel worked with a local restaurant to develop an Indian menu. “Instead of the client go-
ing to them, it’s all done in one stop,” Martinez said. Clients can choose from other approved caterers, too. See ETHNIC, Next Page
R12
Friday, February 21, 2014
CELEBRATIONS
ETHNIC from Page 11
Likewise, the Hilton Columbus/Polaris hotel in Ohio began working with outside caterers about three years to accommodate an Indian wedding, said senior catering manager Jacob Kristensen. “We wanted to be able to offer them something authentic. They had many guests coming from India,” he said. “We didn’t feel like we could do it” without help from a restaurant. Since then, the hotel has hosted a number of Indian events. “The word spread very fast,” said Kristensen, adding that the policy also extends to kosher food since the hotel does not have a kosher kitchen. In the past, families that wanted to cap a celebration with a traditional meal may have had to go to a restaurant, said Marie Reeder, catering director at the Anaheim Hills Golf Clubhouse in California, which works with a variety of specialty caterers, including South Asian, Persian
Ateeb Ansari and Sheema Aleem cut the cake at their wedding. Ansari’s family hosted the couple’s wedding reception at the Owego Treadway Inn & Conference Center in New York because the venue allows outside catering. The Muslim family needed to use a caterer that could provide halal meat to serve to their guests. AP
and Chinese. “The younger generation can have their event at a country club and still serve traditional foods,” she said. Finding a venue that allowed outside catering was a must for Nadiaa Ansari when she was planning her brother’s July wed-
ding. The Muslim family needed to serve halal meat for religious reasons. She chose the Owego Treadway Inn & Suites in Owego, N.Y., because of its willingness to accommodate them. “It’s hard to find venues in smaller towns that are aware of those things and are willing to
The wedding guests of Ateeb Ansari and Sheema Aleem serve themselves some of the Indian food that an outside caterer prepared. AP
work with you,” said Ansari, who handled the wedding planning because tradition dictates that the groom’s family host the celebration. Families will recommend a venue or come back again if they feel their needs and traditions have been understood, said Jim Carmody, general manager of the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston, which has permitted outside catering for more than a decade. “It’s a whole family celebration. It’s got to be right. It’s got to be memorable,” he said.