Custom Sneakers for the Bride or Groom

January 7, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, everything the bride wears on wedding day will be noticed—and photographed—and that includes her shoes. What style is she interested in for the ceremony and formal shots? How about the reception and party? Almost without exception, a more comfortable pair of shoes than her dressy heels will be needed before the dancing is over and she dashes off to her honeymoon.

A great choice for the reception (or at least after you get past the important photos) is custom sneakers. Not only will they be comfortable and fun, but both the bride and groom can sport them together. And what a cute photo that will make, right?

How do you get sneakers customized? Check the shoe manufacturer’s website to see if they offer a custom shoe service. For example, check this Custom Wedding Sneakers page on the Converse website. Also this Etsy page shows all kinds of wedding Converse shoes. You could also try a Google search for custom sneakers to find other possibilities out there.

Run this (pun intended!) past the bride and groom, MOB, and see if custom sneakers strike their wedding-shoe fancy. Go ahead an encourage them to get comfortable and thoroughly enjoy their party—and don’t forget comfy shoes for yourself, too!

*You might also like to read Rustic Wedding Bridal Shoes: Boots—What Else?, Bridal Shoes: The Lacy Look, and Bridal Shoes: The Cute Factor.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, comes out in early February. Sign-up is free! Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Villa de Amore, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: accessories, appearance, bride, celebrate, creation/creative/creator, decorate, fun, groom, memories, Mother of the Bride, pair, preparation, variety, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Registry Idea: Pottery Barn

September 17, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, have your daughter and her beloved decided where they want to register yet? When most of us think of bridal registries, two or three of the standard registries come to mind, but it can be so much fun to throw something else into the mix too. Guests love having several options to choose from, and the newlyweds can end up with some cool gifts they might not otherwise have received. Fun, huh?!

With that in mind, why not suggest Pottery Barn to the soon-to-be newlyweds? Pottery Barn offers a little bit of everything for the home, and their products are super classy. Your sweet couple can start the process on the Pottery Barn registry page. From there, they can book a free appointment with a design expert if they’d like. Pottery Barn also has a registry app that’s free and can help them manage and track their registry. Always fun to check in and see what’s happening with a registry, right?

MOB, Pottery Barn is sure to add to the excitement and fun of the registry process so encourage your happy couple to consider them. They might just find some of their favorite items there!

*You might also like to read Wedding Registry Roundup.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early November. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Jeepers Media, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: Above and Beyond, advice, bride, celebrate, free, Gift, groom, help, home, inventory, Mother of the Bride, organize, preparation, registry, variety, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

God Can Make Our Accidents and Mistakes Shine

September 3, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Sometimes I capture my best photos by accident. I didn’t even realize I caught the cardinal above in flight until I checked the shot later. Woohoo! Gotta love it when accidents shine like that, huh?

Other times while trying to focus a shot, I take the picture prematurely. But every now and then, my mistake looks perfect. Evidently, the camera captures it in mid-focus at just the right moment. I can’t take credit for it, but I sure do celebrate it.

No, it’s not me that makes something good out of my foul-ups. God’s the one who can make my accidents or mistakes shine. And not just where photography’s concerned.

In spite of numerous parenting mistakes, God used my efforts and grew our daughters into the amazing women they are today. When it comes to marriage, God has kept Don and me together through all the ups and downs despite our many shortcomings. He even blesses with shining results in lesser things—like when my baking efforts hit an unexpected snag or when I take a wrong turn.

On a worldwide scale, we’ve all heard about inventions and medical discoveries that happened by accident. The world has benefited by penicillin for years now thanks to one of Dr. Fleming’s petri dishes that got contaminated with mold. God made that accident shine indeed, didn’t he?

Our accidents or mistakes may not have such far-reaching effect as penicillin, but isn’t it good to know that God can take our missteps—and even our sins—and make something good out of them? He is not only a great Creator, he is a great Redeemer as well. He can make us shine. And I sure do celebrate that.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

*When has God made an accident or mistake of yours shine?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early November. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*My photo

Filed Under: accident, action, celebrate, creation/creative/creator, encouragement, grace, help, life, mercy, mistake, new thing, photo fun, praise, redeem, refresh, shine, success, victory Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Eskimo Kiss Engagement Photo

August 20, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, are you collecting engagement photo ideas for the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. in your life? If not, start your list today. There are some awesome ideas out there. I have a few here on my site (will list a few below) and I also have an Engagement Photos Pinterest board you might want to check out.

Today I have a super cute idea for you—an Eskimo kiss shot! Such a nose-to-nose shot could either look very romantic with the eyes closed (as pictured above) or playful and fun with eyes open and the couple laughing or scrunching noses. The photographer could take both kinds of shots. They’ll probably both be keepers, right?

So save this idea, MOB. Your daughter and her intended will have a ball playing Eskimos—and you’ll all end up with another great engagement photo!

*You might also like to read Engagement Photo Idea: Show Off the Ring, Engagement Photos: Consider a Night Shoot, Engagement Photo Idea: Playground Fun, Engagement Photo Idea: Frame That Moment!, and Engagement Photo Idea: Bike Fun!

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Tela Chhe, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: bride, celebrate, fun, groom, joy, keepsake, laughter, love, memories, Mother of the Bride, photo fun, preparation, treasure, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fun Nail Polish Gift from the Bride to Her Maids

June 4, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, at some point in the days or weeks preceding the wedding, here’s a fun gift idea for the bride to give her bridesmaids—nail polish! And not just any nail polish, but nail polish in the color of their dresses or bouquets. Fun and pretty, too, huh?

Not only will your daughter’s maids appreciate this special treat, but it will help their overall wedding day look come together as well. Variety can look fun and festive on the big day, but uniformity has a special beauty too.

And just think of the great photos that might result if their nails are all done in the same color. The photographer could actually take a few shots with their hands in mind. Pretty shots with their bouquets, pops of the same color as they help the bride get into her gown, and even a shot specifically showing off their hands. And if they use the polish on their toes as well, you’ve got more cute photo possibilities ahead!

You or the bride might even want to take the gift of nail polish a step further and surprise the bridesmaids with a professional manicure and have them take their polish to the salon (would probably be a good idea to have purchased the polish there.) This extra treat is entirely optional, of course, but it could be a fun outing for all the girls—bride included—a couple of days before the wedding.

Worth suggesting to the bride, MOB? I think so! And why not get your nails done at the same time? Go ahead—have some fun and treat yourself!

*You might also like to read Bridesmaids’ Manicure: Polka Dots and More.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Upupa4me, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: accessories, beauty, bride, bridesmaids, celebrate, color, decorate, Friend, fun, Gift, joy, memories, Mother of the Bride, photo fun, preparation, surprise, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Next Page »