Geez Cameron, have longer legs!?! Ugh. I think this is the perfect look for a summer rehearsal dinner. So chic and so comfortable. A cute white romper accented with a pop of bright red. The nude sandals just make her legs look even longer. I am obsessed with this look. And note, all shapes and sizes can wear rompers, the key is fit and length. Sometimes, if you have a booty when you try on a romper it will fit everywhere but your rear end, the result is a strange fit that rides up at the crotch and butt. NO GOOD. That doesn’t mean you can wear them. Get a larger size that gives you the appropriate length and fits your butt, then take it to a tailor to nip and tuck the top. Tailors are the key to looking super hot in your clothes, so find a good one ;)

Get the Look: Romper, JCrew; Blazer, Torn by Ronny Kobo; Belt, JCrew; Shoes, Dolce Vita; &Necklaces, Forever21.

Don’t be afraid to rock celebrity style on your big day!!!

Lauren

   Okay, if you’ve never heard of this site, walk nay run on over there. It’s a fashionista’s dream. And basically you do exactly what it says. You can rent designer runway gowns for up to 90% off of the actual price!!! Basically, you enter the date of your event, your size, and your zip code and you will be able to sift through all of the available dresses!!! They also have stylists on call so you can receive expert advice at any time. And if that wasn’t awesome enough, you get 2 dresses!!!! To ensure a perfect fit! And for just 25 bucks, you can order a back up dress and also receive 2 sizes!!! So you get to have 2 awesome designer dresses to choose from for your special occasion.

I think this site is genius for bridesmaids, guests, and even brides. Yes, I am totally cool with a bride using this. I mean, not only could you get a steal of a deal on your rehearsal dinner dress, ladies brunch look, and heck maybe even your actual wedding dress. Maybe you wanted to change into a short gown, but didn’t want to spend another thousand dollars, well rent a 1,300 dollar Lela Rose for 150 bucks. You can get a designer rehearsal dinner dress for 50 bucks!!! Halston Heritage, See by Chloe, D&G... just to name a few.

You can also rent jewelry, headbands, and handbags. Yeah, this site is that awesome. 350 dollar earrings for 35 freaking dollars. That’s brilliant! Have you always wanted to carry a Judith Lieber clutch, but never thought you could afford the 1,600 dollar price tag. Rent one for just 150 dollars. So, it’s pretty ah-mazing. It’s by no means cheap, but it does save you a considerable amount of money if you have champagne taste and a beer budget.

So, all you have to do is sign up on the site and start borrowing. It’s that simple.

 www.renttherunway.com

Why not try being different throughout your whole wedding weekend starting with the first day! Savannah offers lots of neat opportunities to allow you and your guests to enjoy our Hostess City to the fullest! Here are just a few of my favorites!

 

One lump or two? Savannah’s charm is carried throughout the town in many forms and the two fabulous tea companies that live in downtown Savannah are great options for a unique experience and tea lovers everywhere. The Gryphon Tea Room and Savannah Tea Room are quaint and delicious! Guests will love the experience and the tea!

 

 

 

Strike 3, your a turkey! Why not gather at a bowling alley with some beer and pizza and share a few friendly games bowling? I had a bride do this a few months ago and let me tell you what, her guests had a blast and the pictures were priceless!

 

 

What better way to show your guests the Savannah River then by a Riverboat Cruise? Savannah Riverboat offers private and semi-private rides during the day and night each day! Music is already provided and tasty treats and drinks are available as well! For 2-3 hours, guests will enjoy Savannah from a different perspective!

 

 

 

Chocolate lovers unite! Gather everyone and head down to Lulu’s Chocolate bar in downtown Savannah for amazing desserts and drinks! They have some of the most delectable yummies and will even close down to allow you, your family and friends all the privacy you want! This is a great option to add if you have a lot of out of town guests coming into town that might want to stop in for a few minutes and give the bride and groom a hello before the big day!

 

What are your favorites?

 

 

So, I thought it was time to update your rehearsal dinner-wear. Trends and weather are constantly changing, so I just wanted to give a few cold weather choices using some of the fabulous new trends from the runway and red carpet. I am a genius, so you must trust me on everything...and by now you should know that I am full of witty sarcasm ;) among other things. So here we go, shopping is fun.

1/ The Cocktail Party Rehearsal Dinner, I looooove cocktail parties...I need fancy friends to throw them, so I can get all pretty and drink. Sigh. Cocktail parties are so glamorous. Have the music up, not too loud, have yummy drinks everywhere both alcoholic and non. And since you are saving money by having the dinner at home, fork over some cash to bring in servers to pass out drinks. Make lots of yummy appetizers and a small buffet of heartier foods. This is a cocktail party, so go crazy! Wear a cocktail dress!!! So much fun...I had more fun shopping for my second short dress than my actual wedding dress because that’s more me...really, how many of us are the ball gown types all the time? Right?

From left to right: dress, A.L.C, $343, shoes, Fergie, $109; dress, Madison Marcus, $274, shoes, Kors by Michael Kors, $250; dress, Cynthia Vincent,  $198, shoes, Nine West, $89.

2/ The Casual Get Together Rehearsal Dinner, I think that in such a tight economic times that this is just the best way to go. Have everyone make and bring their favorite dishes, or get takeout from ton of your favorite different places, variety is the spice of life. Bust out the karaoke machine, board games, card games, etc. Light a fire and have your favorite music playing. See doesn’t that sound fun!? I want to have one now! What’s great about this is comfort and cute are the only things that matter! Pants are the best way to go because you will be a lot of sitting around and cuddling and running around...I would go with a jumper, they are comfy and can still look so sexy. So, leave the dress for your wedding day.

Left to right: jumpsuit, Nanette Lepore, $278.60; shoes, Steve Madden, $69.95; jumpsuit, Young, Fabulous, & Broke, $198, blazer, Elizabeth and James, $395, earrings, Banana Republic, on sale for $20.

3/ The Afternoon Tea Rehearsal Linner, I like this idea, the men may find it a bit girly, but you provide enough food and champagne they should be just fine! It also gives you all afternoon to just hang with your friends, throwing your own tea party is easy and can be inexpensive. I think that this is the perfect opportunity to be really frou frou and go pink crazy. This idea screams spring, but guess what? People drink tea year round...and what better to warm you up in the winter? So the idea is to keep fabrics lights and soft, nothing too heavy.

Cardigan, Paul & Joe, $154; dress, BB Dakota, $80; shoes, Via Spiga, $215; belt, Old Navy, $16.50, bracelet, Banana Republic, $39.50. *styling assistance: wear the cardigan over the dress and button the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th buttons from the top, wear the belt at your natural waist cinching it tight to show off your slimmest part and give you a pretty shape. And if you get too cold, a classic khaki trench and a bright pink pashmina would look fabulous!*

4/ The Bowling Ally Rehearsal Dinner, so yes, this is a real thing and personally I think it’s awesome, bowling is fun and not too dangerous ;) Just keep the balls aimed at the pins and you should be injury free. The food at a bowling ally can be pretty bad, but in most major cities there are at least one or two bowling allies with really good food. I live in the middle of nowhere and I still have one with awesome food, albeit predictable, but give the men alcohol and you should be good to go. But if not, it’s possible that if you rent enough lanes you may be able to strike up a deal to bring in outside food. Now, you want to still be pretty, after all you are the bride, but you want to make sure that you are still cute once you put on bowling shoes...ew. Make sure bring socks. I would go for the new style of cropped pants, NOT CAPRI PANTS!!! Capri pants look good on no one and if you think they look good on you...well, they probably don’t. A nice dark jean with a rolled hem is perfect.

Cardigan, Kensie, $78; blouse; Generra, $195; Gabby jeans, Hudson, $185; necklace, Gorjana, $58; shoes, Steve Madden, $49.95.

So, there you go! Weddings, Fashion, and Parties...three of my favorite things in the world. Just remember to think about dressing for your rehearsal dinner like you would any other day. Stay true to your style, but don’t be afraid to try trends you really like.

Until we meet again, stay bridal and don’t be mean, let your bridesmaids get trashed at the rehearsal dinner...that’s why God made Laura Mercier under eye concealer...best stuff ever!!!!

Lauren

Tune in tomorrow for suggestions on each one of these fabulous rehearsal dinner ideas and more!

I cannot stress enough how important your guests are to your wedding! With the economy the way it is now, it takes so much for your guests to travel to be with you on your wedding day.  The average guest count RSVP is down from years ago. Usually the rule of thumb for out of town weddings, we would guess about 70-80% from your invited guests would come. Today, it is about 60-70%.  So with that said, today’s bride and groom really need to focus their details and efforts on going the extra mile for those guests that did decide to come and share in your day! Here is the first of a 4 part series on making your guests feel like a true guest of honor.

Before the big weekend arrives there are a few things you would want to do for your guests:

Wedding Website-In this day in age, guests are pretty computer savvy. One of the easiest ways to keep your guests up to date on activities, information, travel plans, registries (DO NOT PUT THEM IN YOUR INVITATIONS OR SAVE THE DATES-THIS IS TACKY), and so much more. There are a variety of options out there from free sites like MyWedding and TheKnot and then there are the more in depth sites that offer so many neat details and options like RSVP tracking, photo albums, and SOOO many design and color options….then you need to go to the Wedding Window!

Hotel Blocks-Have you ever been invited to a wedding outside of your town where you had to make travel plans and book a hotel room? There were too many choices to pick from right? Plus, you had to really dig deep to find out if the hotel was close to the wedding festivities. To curb this added headache for guests, many hotels will offer group discounts if you are booking more than 10 rooms at any one particular hotel. These rates will be lower than what guests can block them by themselves. You are also assuring your guests will be together and it allows for easier transportation pick ups by the transportation you are providing (see part 2). Tip: Try to book about 3 different price point options if you can. Hot free breakfasts are always appreciated and maybe try a local hotel with the southern flaire!

Out of Town Bags-(also known as OOT Bags) -If you are hosting a destination wedding then it is likely that all of your guests will be travelling to help you celebrate your special day.  These can be simple or extravagant depending on your budget, number of OOT guests and your wedding theme. What a wonderful greeting for your guests to arrive in their hotel room after a long journey to find a bag or basket filled with some water , local treats like our famous Pralines, Byrd Cookies, Savannah Bee Honey, some snacks along with information about the weekend's festivities and local area attractions and coupon tickets for trolley rides or ghost tours!  You can even theme it after your wedding or your personality as a couple! Idea: Encourage guests to attend the beach in the Lowcountry area by supplying a beach bag filled with flip flops, sunscreen, beach towel, a good book, chap stick, water and some good beach snacks!

Extending Your Rehearsal Dinner Invitation-Proper etiquette calls for you to extend the invite to attend your rehearsal dinner or maybe some light drinks and desserts following your dinner, to all guests who happen to come in town the day before the wedding. This is also a great time for them to mingle with your families and other friends they might not have had the pleasure of meeting yet. You can host a really low key BBQ or LowCountry Boil to keep costs minimal but include all those that happen to be in town early. If you are hosting a big wedding with a great many guests, you might have enough time to get around to see everyone (see part 3), so this is a great way to get some one-on-one time with a few of them before the wedding.

Check back for Part 2-On how to spoil guests during your ceremony.

Once a week we will spotlight a segment from the “In-eligible Bachelor’s Pad” for you grooms!!! After all, your brides shouldn't have all the fun…so keep an eye out for etiquette advice, fashion ideas, gift suggestions, and so much more from Tim (my groom) and myself!

Gentlemen, as your bride to be is busy planning out the details of your wedding and reception you can ease some of the workload on her by undertaking the plans for the rehearsal dinner.

Traditionally this falls upon the grooms family but in the modern age everyone is usually involved with the planning for it. So first things first is what type you would like to have, a less formal more relaxing evening or a bit more formal. Most tend to go with a less formal evening due to the wedding reception being more formal the next day. So as you start to plan you have to figure out how big of an event you would like this to be. If you are hosting an "out of town" wedding you may want to include more than immediate family and the wedding party on your guest list. This will give you the opportunity to speak with friends and family you haven't seen in a while as you will be a bit more busy with your new bride on your wedding day. Once you have planned out who will be attending you want to decide on a location and the food. The low country offers so many choices for cuisine from low country boils to southern favorites. Remember for your spring/summer weddings that it's going to be extremely warm, as well as having evenings filled with flying critters so an inside location is generally favored. So you have figured out your guest list, your location and your food now it's time to sit back relax and enjoy the evening. Throughout the evening thank your guests for coming because some will have travelled a great distance to share this weekend and occasion with you so remember to let them know you appreciate it. BUT remember you do have a wedding to attend tomorrow so keep that in mind you want to be tip top for your big day which leads us into enjoying your last night of bachelorhood, but not too much................

Anyone who has ever had a hangover no matter how big or small knows how it can affect you the following day and seeing as how your following day is your wedding day you DO NOT want to spend it with your head buried in a trash can claiming that you will never indulge in the spirits of the Gods again. Especially if you are getting married in the Low Country in the spring and summer you want to make sure you drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated because your wedding day is going to be a long day and you don't want to be the one passing out. Remember the last memory of your wedding day that your bride wants, is that of you throwing up or being miserable because you are hung over. There are plenty of things that you and your groomsmen can do to celebrate your last days of being single that' won't lead to a hangover on your following day................

My next post will cover a gift for your bride and ideas for you and your groomsmen to celebrate.

Your wing man,

Tim

Invite from wedding paper divas, low country boil picture from coastal living