Category: Expert Advice

Planning your dream wedding on a very real budget? You’re not alone. Cutting back on the pricey parts of your wedding is never easy, but if you have even an ounce of “do-it-yourself” spirit, you might find some of the tasks you had planned to pass off to a pro are kind of fun to DIY.

Save the bags from your sheet set purchases. Then when you pack for your honeymoon or other romantic weekend getaways, use these bags to stash your shoes! That way, the rest of your clothes will stay clean. I’ve got a collection of these handy plastic bags—an extra large one that’s perfect from my cowboy boots, and petite size that work for my beach sandals.

A good friend of mine recently went to Mexico to begin the planning process for her daughter’s destination wedding. While she was there, she heard a fantastic story I just had to share.
At a recent wedding in San Pancho, Mexico, guests were gathered, awaiting the ceremony. A mariachi band was playing in traditional Mexican style. When the bride appeared, the musicians changed their tune with with fanfare. But instead of ‘Here Comes The Bride,’ the band unexpectedly began to play ‘Happy Birthday!’

Those of us at Here Comes The Guide who are married did not have cookie-cutter weddings: Meredith and her husband had an intimate beach wedding (a.k.a elopement) in Half Moon Bay, Jolene wore a raspberry wedding gown, my husband and I served pizza—old school, unfancy pizza, and Sharon and her husband had their lively reception in a dojo where the black belts in attendance took turns throwing the groom.

You’ve done it—found “the dress.” Now it’s time to pull the rest of your look together. Before you proceed, it is useful to identify which shade of white your dress really is. (This article should help.) Then you can begin to add the finishing touches like jewelry, shoes, and hair accessories.

These challenging economic times have created a novel wedding trend: The mid-week wedding! While Wednesday-night knot-tying is never going to replace Saturday evening extravaganzas, we’re hearing about wedding couples that opt to celebrate on a non-traditional day of the week. And why not? Since it’s an off-time for wedding vendors, they’re more likely to discount their fees. Same goes for your wedding location—you’re sure to get more for less if you wed on an alternate day. Want to upgrade from community center to hotel ballroom? For sure.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get the perfect shape for your eyebrows, check out this video from our Certified By The Guide makeup artist and eyebrow specialist, Monique Powers. In it, she shows you how to shape your own eyebrows without spending a ton of money at a salon. I love that she uses something as simple as a pencil to do the measurements of where the eyebrow should begin, where the arch should be and where the brow should end. She makes it look so easy!

I just learned that “at traditional Persian weddings, guests may grow alarmed when the bride twice doesn’t answer when asked if she will marry the bridegroom. (He doesn’t get the yes until he presents a gift, often of coins or jewelry.)” Thank you New York Times! The Times’ recent article “Different Rules for Different Cultures: Be Prepared” goes over a few of the cultural differences that might flummox wedding guests. What should you wear to an Indian wedding or Orthodox Jewish one? What kind of dancing is permissible at a Muslim wedding?