Do Be Square!

The expression, "Don't be square," is officially out-of-date! Check out these super cute table settings that defy wedding tradition. Opting for a rectangle...a square...or a box...whatever it takes to make the center of the table look modern, clean and simple.

So, do be square with your table settings!

A Bride's Guilty Pleasure - Say Yes To The Dress TV Show

My mom and I are 100%, no holds barred, completely, insanely obsessed with TLC's "Say Yes To The Dress." Seriously, as sad as this sounds, there is nothing I'd rather do on a Friday night than watch at least two episodes in a row of this bridal bonanza.

When my fiance really wants to get on my good side, he actually DVR's all of the re-runs from the week and provides me with the best Friday night a girl could ask for: three or more hours of unadulterated wedding dress bliss!

The show documents the trial, tribulations, taffeta and sometimes tackiness of THE infamous wedding dress hunt at the quintessential wedding dress store, Manhattan's Kleinfeld's.

This Friday night's episode made our jaws drop even lower than normal when we met Jessica. While she may surely be a very nice person, her taste in bridal gowns is far from nice. Vampy. Trampy. Tacky are more like it.

But that's the fun of the show--you see the best, the worst, the ugliest and the prettiest that this bridal-obsessed world has to offer.

Here's to hoping that no one has this kind of reaction when they see my dress!

Make It Visual For Your Florist

My mom and I had our first official visit with a florist last week. And boy were we "newbies!" Sure, my mom (who I would call an expert wedding planner on the side) has met with tons of florists before. But somehow we didn't quite know what to do or what to ask.

Eventually, we made it through our appointment unharmed and with smiles on our faces, eager to see the proposal that our florist brings back to us.

But in looking back, my advice is to bring tons of pictures, scraps, color swatches, like the ones pictured above. The more visual and sensory the better. The less words the better. I think that artistic folks, like florists, respond best when they can truly see your vision...know what you mean when you say "rustic" and picture what the heck you have going on in that bridal head of yours!

Say Cheese Without The Cheese: Wedding Photographer

For some reason, it has always seemed to me that an event...or a party...or a moment...just doesn't seem real unless it is captured in a photo.

(This may be a short-term memory lapse. Or it could be the fact that I just love looking at pictures. Or maybe it is because my dad was once an amateur photographer and I wish I had his "eye.").

Regardless of the reason, it was crucial for me to find just the right photographer for my wedding. And rule #1: cheese is simply not allowed. No poses. No fakeness. No rehearsal.

Simply unstaged. Unrehearsed. Simply those moments that are happening even when you don't realize they're happening. I didn't have to look far to find the photographer for me, Zlatko Batistich. He is based really close to my hometown in New Jersey.

Check out some of his beautiful work: http://www.zlatkobatistich.com/

Mom Deals With Future Son-In-Law

As the mother-of-the bride, this is my first official posting!

After a bit of coaxing from the bride-to-be, I'm finally ready to share some of the fun tips and stories we've been learning along the way.

First up is my soon-to-be son-in-law (wow, that was a lot of hyphens!). I am really thrilled that he will soon be a member of our family.

My advice to other mothers of the bride? First and most important: make sure your daughter finds someone she loves and you can love, too.

And second: have fun!

Great Wedding Gift For Bride

One of the best gifts my mother gave me when I first got engaged was this beautiful, bright pink calendar set. Not only is it pretty (and pink!), but it allows me to capture all of the great moments throughout the process.

Already several months into planning, it is fun to look back and remember all the juicy details I wrote down like...the day we decided on the location or the day we decided on the dress.

So take a moment to jot it down!