Custom Sneakers for the Bride or Groom

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

Wedding Planning Help Plus Holiday Blogging Break

Mother of the Bride, with December here and Christmas inching ever closer, I’ve decided to take a blogging break until after the first of the year. Like you, I want to focus on faith, family, and friends over the next few weeks. We need to make the most of our precious time and do what’s really important, don’t we?

So allow me to go ahead and wish you and yours a very merry Christmas—and I wish all the best to you and your daughter as you continue preparations for her big day. I hope the following help you in that endeavor!

Here are five resources from yours truly:

  1. Read my book Mother of the Bride: Refreshment and Wisdom for the Mother of the Bride. Allow me to be your friend for the journey!
  2. Look through the list of Favorite Posts on the sidebar and click the links to the ones that spark your interest. (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find the sidebar items.)
  3. Use the Search bar. Simply type in any topic you’d like to find some ideas or info for and see what comes up!
  4. Check out my Pinterest pageAmong other things, it features eighteen wedding-related boards!
  5. Glance through the roundup posts I’ve written. They are listed below. Roundups can be very helpful:

Wedding Photography: Bridal Portrait Roundup

Roundup: Popular Mother of the Bride Blog Posts

Bridal Bouquet Roundup

Wedding Cake Roundup

Wedding Registry Roundup

Wedding Photo Ideas Roundup That Star the Groom

Finally, if your daughter is in the beginning stages of gathering ideas and investigating her options, try Martha Stewart Weddings and Brides.  And if she wants a rustic wedding, check out Rustic Wedding Chic.

Hope this helps you and your sweet bride-to-be daughter, MOB!

*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 DaDaAceCreative Commons License

Aisle Decor Idea for Outdoor Weddings: Fresh Flowers!

Mother of the Bride, is your daughter planning an outdoor wedding for next spring or summer? If so, the two of you may want to come up with some ideas to spruce up the folding chairs you’ll probably be using.

Fresh flowers provide the perfect aisle/chair décor when the ceremony is held in the great outdoors. Not only do they fit right in with the outdoor setting, but they add gorgeous pops of color to the sea of seats. And colorful flowers look especially striking when the chairs are white (as pictured above).

Fresh flowers along the aisle will also result in some beautiful wedding photos. Just think of all the shots that will be enhanced by this touch of floral beauty. Not only will the bride enter down that aisle, but parents and grandparents will be seated, bridesmaids will enter, the flower girl and ring bearer will make their trip down the aisle, and then, of course, before all of that, the photographer can snap a shot before any of the guests arrive. That just-before-it-all-starts shot will look so pristine and full of anticipation.

So MOB, if an outdoor wedding is in your future, share this idea with the bride-to-be. She may think it will add the perfect touch to the seating area—and she’ll be right! It will look super romantic and everyone will enjoy the beauty!

*You might also like to read Pew or Chair Décor Idea: Sunflowers!

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

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month, but 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 Corey AnnCreative Commons License

Wedding Day Checklist: Leftover Cake Containers

Mother of the Bride, here’s a short and sweet reminder for wedding day: Don’t forget containers for the leftover cake!

I know it’s hard to imagine that your guests might leave some of that wedding cake yumminess uneaten, but they sure do. Chances are you planned for more than enough cake because cake is one thing you don’t want to have in short supply at the reception. Plus, not everyone will eat cake. Hard to believe, but true.

Check with your wedding cake baker to see if he or she provides boxes for the leftovers, and if not, be sure to bring your own containers. Something like the inexpensive food storage containers above works perfectly. These are even better than boxes because they’re air tight.

So, MOB, add containers to your wedding day checklist. And if you’re lucky, you’ll get to indulge in extra bites as you pack the leftovers away. I call that a win!

*You might also like to read Comfy Shoes—Add This to Your Wedding Day List and Wedding Day Tip: A List for the Photographer.

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

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out yesterday, but 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.

*My photo

Wedding Registry Idea: Pottery Barn

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 MediaCreative Commons License