Lilly Pulitzer Wedding Line

Here is a sneak peak at a few wedding dresses from Lilly Pulitzer's soon-to-be launched wedding dress collection. Lilly Pulitzer currently carries Bridesmaid, Groomsmen, Flower Girl, Ring Bearer and Mother of the Bride Dresses.

We love the collection!  What do you think?

Mother- Daughter Pre-Nuptial Agreement

According to Leslie Milk in her book, It’s Her Wedding but I’ll Cry If I Want To: A Survival Guide for the Mother of the Bride, the best way to achieve a true meeting of the minds and an alignment between bride and bank account is to put everything in writing.  Before you view the first hotel ballroom or taste the first chevres on endive, sit down together to draw up a mother-daughter prenuptial agreement.  Putting it in writing can prevent the “she said, she said” misunderstandings that ruin many a wedding long before the “I dos.”

It will force both the mother of the bride and the bride to come up with a workable schedule. It is also a diplomatic way of asking the questions that need to be asked, like, “is his family footing the bill for t any part of this extravaganza or should I tell your father what this is going to cost us and hope he doesn’t have a stroke?”

A mother-daughter agreement is a form of wedding insurance.  In the unlikely event that the bride becomes a bridezilla or the Mother of the Bride turns into the Mother of all M.O.B.s, there will be clearly outlined procedures for intervention.

You don’t need a lawyer to create a mother-daughter prenup. A sample agreement can be found in Milk’s book and modified to reflect you own specific situation.  You will be very glad you took the time to “put it in writing.”

Happy Planning,

Deb Merriner, Splash Consultant

Wedding Website Etiquette

In this digital age where everything is done online, most couples choose to have a wedding website and online registries.  What is the best way to let your guests know about these websites?

Online Registries
It is never appropriate to include your online registry information on your Save the Dates or on your actual information.  Remember, you are requesting your guests presence at your wedding, not their presents.  You can however include your registry information on your personal wedding website, that is what it is there for!  Leave it up to your guests to ask where you are registered. 

Wedding Websites
A personalized wedding website is a great tool for a couple to use to let guests know pertinent information about their wedding- directions, location, registry information, etc.  You can even give them the option to RSVP online.

So where can you advertise your wedding website?  The appropriate place would be on your save the date cards, not on your wedding invitation. 

Did you know that we can get you set up with your very own wedding website?  As part of The Luxe Wedding Package we can get you set up with a wedding website that can include an online RSVP feature.

By Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant

Wedding Insurance

You can never be too careful when it comes to your wedding day.  If it is in your budget, you may want to consider Wedding Insurance.  Policies can range from as little as a couple hundred dollars but can save you thousands and provide some peace of mind when the unexpected happens at your wedding.

You have a few options when it comes to wedding insurance: Event Insurance covers any damage to your wedding gown, etc, vendor no-shows, weather cancellations, illness cancellations.

Also available is Wedding Liability Insurance that protects you from any injuries or property damage that that takes place at your wedding.  For these two types of wedding insurance check out WedSafe and Travelers.

Not covered by WedSafe and Travelers is Change of Heart Insurance.  Heaven forbid you or your spouse gets cold feet and the wedding is cancelled.  If you forsee this being a possibility you may want to consider this type of insurance which you can buy through Fireman's Fund.

We sincerely hope that your wedding days goes off without a hitch and you will never have to submit a wedding insurance claim!

By Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant

Is Registering for China a Thing of the Past?

 (Mikasa 'Daylight')

Historically in American culture, one of the first things a newly engaged bride did was to register for her china.  The bride's biggest dilemma was how many pieces to register for; would service for 8 be enough?  Is service for 12 too much?

Times are changing and today's bride is not the same as brides 50 years ago, 20 years ago and even 10 years ago.  Brides are now asking themselves: Do I even need to register for china?

Here are some common reasons that present today's bride with hesitations when deciding whether or not to register for china:

1- She stands to inherit one or more sets from her mother, grandmother, mother-in-law or other relative.

2- She remembers her mother or grandmother's china rarely being used; it was more of a decoration and a space-waster than something practical.  She would rather receive gifts that she could use on a daily basis.

3- Space is at a premium.  Today's bride is getting married later than before and she will be bringing a lot more to the table (no pun intended!).  She may already have a stocked kitchen and basic everyday dinnerware which suits all her needs.

That being said, there are still brides who are making the trip to Macy's with mom to pick out their china.  Today's bride may not need China but she will still register for it because is that what their mother and grandmother did.  She may have had her china pattern picked out since she was a little girl and has been waiting for the day when it is her turn to register.

Here are some patterns that are catching our eye lately:

Vera Wang Wedgewood Blue Duchesse:

Kate Spade June Lane Collection: 

Crate + Barrell Regent Dinnerware:

 

By Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant

Photography for Splash Brides!

What a gorgeous day here in Northern Virginia!  It's been such a banner week for Splash, and I've met some really fabulous vendors who I'm going to showcase for you over the next week or so.  I had the grand opportunity to participate in one of my favorite showcases at Seasons Cards and Gifts last Wednesday (thank you, Kerry and the fabulous Seasons staff!) for their monthly Wedding Wednesday (the first Wednesday of every month, dear brides, don't miss it!).  While I met some great brides, I also met a fabulous photographer, Rose Towner Jones of Towner Jones Photography (http://www.townerjones.com/).  Rose was there with her adorable daughter, who regaled us all on how to be a proper flower girl!  As I perused the work that Rose and her husband put together for their bridal couples, it was apparent that attention to detail is at the forefront of their work.  And, as I listened to Rose confer with a bride, there was no doubt that this is a relationship I want to foster for our Splash brides.  We are always looking for that special vendor who will love our brides as much as we do, and Towner Jones Photography fits the bill ~ thank you, Rose!

Happy Snapping,

Bridal Market Week 2010!

Hello, dear brides!  It's Bridal Market Week 2010 ~ and, what does that mean to you?  This week kicks off the bridal season for 2010, which runs from this week through mid-November with a new and fresh focus for our 2010 brides.  From custom dresses by Ramya (pictured here) to photographers and caterers, your bridal vendors have fresh and new ideas for you.  So, gather your thoughts and call your favorite wedding planner to help you negotiate the maze of vendors and get the best value for your big day.

Congratulations and happy planning!