Fun Nail Polish Gift from the Bride to Her Maids

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 Upupa4meCreative Commons License

Sheet Music Design for Bridal Bouquet and Boutonniere

Mother of the Bride, are your sweet Mr. & Mrs.-to-Be music lovers? If so, they may want to plan some of the elements of their wedding with a music motif. And that’s wonderful because possibilities abound!

One way to incorporate a music theme into a wedding is to use sheet music to make the bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere. Isn’t this a clever idea? Not only is it unique, but it’s actually quite attractive—not to mention the fact that it reflects the couple’s love for music. Definitely a win-win, right?

The bride and groom could add even more significance to their bouquet and boutonniere choice by finding the sheet music to songs especially meaningful to them. They could each choose their favorite song or composer/songwriter, or they might want to use the song they consider to be their song. Again, lots of possibilities.

If you’re wondering about the bridesmaids’ bouquets and groomsmen’s bouts, they could be something different but yet coordinate in some way. Your floral designer can probably suggest some terrific ideas.

MOB, share this idea with your girl and her guy and see if it strikes their musical fancy. They might like it even if they’re not musicians—they may just enjoy music and think it’s a cool idea!

*You might also like to read Wedding Decor: Craft It with PaperKnitted Bridal Bouquet and More, and Wedding Idea That Sparkles: A Brooch Bouquet!

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, 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 jessica.hanrahanCreative Commons License

Wedding Cake Inspiration: Coconut Cloud

Mother of the Bride, are you and your little-girl-turned-bride-to-be looking at wedding cakes yet? If so, you’ve probably discovered a plethora of choices. Allow me to add another one today.

The coconut cloud cake puts a whole new spin—and texture—to a traditional cake. Not only is it a perfect choice if the bride and groom are coconut lovers, but it will allow their cake to stand out as a little more unique than many others.

I especially like the coconut touch on an ombre cake (as pictured above.) The coconut shows up better when using a variety of colors, plus it allows the happy couple to incorporate one of their wedding colors if they so choose. The coconut cloud effect with the pink used in this cake almost gives a sunrise or sunset look, doesn’t it? Other colors will create other beautiful moods and images, but an all-white cake would look stunning as well.

Hope you and your daughter have fun, MOB, looking at all the cake possibilities out there. I know you’ll enjoy taste-testing when the time comes. My daughters and I certainly did!

*You might also like to read Wedding Cake Roundup.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, 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 last week. 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 Whipped BakeshopCreative Commons License

Wedding Day Photo: Black and White Bubble Shot

Mother of the Bride, I’ve got a great wedding day photo idea for you today. I hope you and the happy couple are keeping a list of must-have shots to share with your photographer. If so, you might want to add this to your list pronto.

If your daughter and her groom have decided to use bubbles during their send-off from the church or reception site, why not ask the photographer to use a black and white photo finish.

As you can see in the photo above, this shot done in black and white really causes the bubbles to stand out. I love how it almost makes them look like snow falling. I also love how the couple is kissing in the shot above. The perfect touch, right? If you ask your sweet couple to do the same, I’m sure they’ll be happy to oblige!

Show this photo to your daughter and her beloved, MOB, and see what they think. If they haven’t decided on what to use during the send-off, they may decide to go with bubbles just to get a shot like this!

*You might also like to read Engagement Photo Idea: Show Off the RingBridal Portraits: Include Some Artsy Shots, and Engagement Photo Idea: Playground Fun.

*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, will come out in early May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. *Sign-up is FREE! *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Corey AnnCreative Commons License

Flower Crown Bridal Headpiece

Mother of the Bride, has your daughter has settled on her dress for her big day? If so, now is the time to start considering veils and/or headpieces. What will look best with her dress? Her hair? What fits her personality?

The flower crown is one option that is done less often than others, but it could be just right for your sweet girl. If she tends to be playful, likes whimsy, or has earthy leanings and also wants part of her attire to look a little more casual, a crown of roses, daisies, baby’s breath, or any number of other flower combinations might be the answer to her headpiece decision.

The bride-to-be can choose fresh, dried, or even fabric flowers and shop for her dream flower crown in stores or online. Or she could of course ask the florist, a family member, or a friend to fashion one for her.

More of than not, veils aren’t used with flower crown headpieces, but that’s not always the case. Brides can do whatever they want. However, flower crown headpieces don’t need a veil. So if your daughter prefers not to wear a veil, this particular headpiece option might be perfect for her.

Why not toss out the flower crown headpiece idea, MOB, and see if it strikes your daughter’s bridal-hair fancy. If it does, you’re one step closer to completing her big day look!

*You might also like to read In Lieu of a Veil: Floral Bridal Combs or Hairpins and Bride’s Hair Accessory: Baby’s Breath.

*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, will come out in early May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library.  *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photos by~ Hatty PhotoCreative Commons License