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Keeping Tradition While Keeping a Budget

Keeping Tradition Can be Expensive

There are a lot of traditions and costs that go into your wedding. However, you need to find a way to prioritize them in case your budget gets tight! Take a look at some of the biggest and oldest wedding traditions that most bride's choose to include in their wedding. Keeping tradition isn't a requirement of getting married, but it sure can be a lot of fun. So, think about which wedding traditions are important to you and then be sure to prioritize them as you make your budget.

Wedding Dress

The traditional white wedding dress was born the day that Queen Victoria of England wore one on her wedding day in 1840. Today, the average cost of a traditional white wedding dress is between $400 and $1,700.

Wedding Cake

Wedding cakes as a wedding tradition date bake to medieval times when they were essentially bread and a symbol of fertility and prosperity. Now, the wedding cake is much more extravagant and typically costs between $300 and $690

The Bridal Bouquet

The wedding bouquet started as mostly herbs and a way to ward off evil spirits. It was also believed to prevent the plague. A flower bouquet for the bride now costs between $150-$350.

The Garter Toss

The garter toss was born from a couple different traditions. One of which of believing that getting a piece of the bride's wedding dress would bring you good luck. So while most see the garter toss as a flirty and innuendo type of tradition today, it was started as a way to ward off eager guests from essentially ripping the the bride's dress a part. A garter typically costs around $35 to $75. Though, many guests use a cheaper one for the toss and keep the nicer one for themselves.

Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

This wedding traditional is a whole lot of superstition. Kind of like an athlete who doesn't wash his socks all season. To uphold this tradition you need:

something old that represents your past life before marriage,
then, something new to represent you new married life,
something borrowed from someone with a happy marriage,
and something blue as a symbol of faithfulness.

The exact cost of this tradition depends entirely on what you use as each item.

Posted on March 30, 2019

Don't Make These 7 Wedding Trend Mistakes

We’ve been talking a lot about trends this month and it’s time to get into the things NOT to do this year if you want to avoid your wedding being on the “been there done that” list. So, let's take alook at these 7 wedding trend mistakes!

An overly Instagramed wedding!

Your guests are there to celebrate with you right? Invite guests to put away their phones, by providing a professional photographer that will capture all the candid moments you are all craving. Stay off your phones and immerse yourselves in the beautiful event you worked so hard to create. Don’t let cell phones and hashtags and selfies get in the way of you and your friends making fun memories out on the dance floor or a meaningful conversation with your grandmother. The most cherished keepsakes from your wedding day are the special moments you share as a couple with your friends and family.

Wedding favor or junk drawer contender? Don't fall into one of these wedding trend mistakes!

What’s the truth about the cute bauble you picked out as a favor for all your wedding guests? You know the little decorative trinket you spent money on? Unfortunately most of these get left behind at the wedding or placed in your guest’s junk drawer when they get home. Forget about the wedding favor and put the money towards something that people care more about, like being witness to a beautiful well-thought out wedding ceremony. Put more focus on your precious nuptials.

#badhashtag

Hashtags are a supertrend that aren’t just going to go away. However try to avoid making a creative and probably confusing hashtag. You may induce serious eye-rolls with your oh so cute hashtag creation. We advise keeping it simple and genuine by just using your names.

Can I monogram that?

Please stop putting your monogram on EVERYTHING!! It’s important to use this sparingly or else it just looks tacky! Put your monogram on the invitation and use it in one design element at the reception. Keep it off your dance floor. Don’t put it on napkins, signs, or table cloths. Just keep it simple and sophisticated.

A sea of gray… I’m bored

One of the biggest wedding trend mistakes to ditch this year is the monochromatic bridesmaid look. Minimalism is still in, but with a flair! You can stick with a complementary palette but then let your bridal party wear varying patterns, hues, designers, and styles that show off individuality and helps them feel good too!

Geometric ceremonies are too trendy

While we will see more art installments in wedding receptions this year, avoid using geometric backdrops at your wedding ceremony. It had it’s fifteen minutes of fame last year, but this trend is not one that will last. You will be looking at your wedding photos forever, a geometric backdrop will seriously date your wedding, making it a wedding trend mistake you'll want to avoid. Another thing to watch out for are asymmetrical designs. The look tends to draw the eye into a particular direction, away from the couple; it’s distracting. When it comes to your ceremony backdrop, choose elements that are symmetrical, chic, and timeless.

Posted on January 31, 2019

100 Years of Wedding Cake Designs

At Wedding Collectibles we are passionate about cake design and cake toppers! We wanted to share with you some of the highlights of how far cake design has come over the past century and fell in love with this video! Which wedding cake designs are your favorite? I think we've got to say 1936 and 2016!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iurRGE2Y5e8[/embed]

The 1920s

Wedding cake designs often took on the glitz and glam of the roaring 20s era. They were styled with an art deco theme like in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Icing techniques were complex and expensive. This led to affordable cake mixes being sold so that all couples could have a wedding cake.

The 1930s

Cake toppers became popular, as well as, the Lambeth Method. Lambeth icing is a method of piping rows of icing details that are delicate and meticulous.

The 1940s

Due to the war, cakes were mostly homemade in the 40s and featured very little decorations. Lambeth icing was still popular. Many cake toppers were of a traditional couple with the groom in military dress uniforms.

The 1950s

Fruit cakes with white frosting were very popular. After the war more intricate cake toppers became highly popularized and we started to see more use of fresh flowers as a cake topper.

The 1960s

Multi-tiered and elegant, cakes of the 60s were all about height and extravagance. The versatile “boiled icing” technique rose in popularity.

The 1970s

Multi-tiered cakes were still popular, but the decorations became more detailed. The tiers were typically adorned with ornaments of silver and gold, bells and ribbons, or small edible flowers. The traditional bride and groom cake topper was, and still is, a popular classic choice. Cake decorators started experimenting with buttercream frosting and royal icing was a common choice as it was strong and could support the many tiers of the typical 70s wedding cake.

The 1980s

Dark fruit cake mixtures were very popular in the 80s. Brides wanted a wow factor on their cake, and things like water fountains and pillars were added for dramatic affect. Common elements of wedding cake designs in the 80's were flowers, ribbons and icing decorations.

The 1990s

Sugar paste was back in popularity and so cakes in the 90s were decorated with colorful edibe flowers and other decorations. Cake toppers became more personalized and reflected the bride and groom’s personality, hobbies, or professions.

The 2000s

Wedding cake designs started to be coordinated with the wedding gown and decorations. The icing work became very detailed. Many brides started to incorporate coordinating cupcakes with their wedding cake.

The 2010s

Water color designs make a splash in the 2010s! Cake decorators had fun using washes of pastel colors, applying gold accents, and placing unique shapes marking a contemporary style for the decade.

Posted on January 24, 2019

2019 Wedding Traditions vs. Trends

At times wedding traditions can get in the way of the bride creating her perfect day. Every couple is different and deserves the opportunity to make traditions work in a way that is authentic for them. Moving forward into 2019 and beyond we are ready to see how brides turn to creating something that feels a bit more personal and heartfelt. The days of showing off just to show off are done. Your wedding should be a genuine expression of your love and an experience your guests can enjoy and celebrate.

Wedding Traditions Versus Wedding Trends

The groom must not see the bride before the wedding ceremony

This is one of those wedding traditions that stems from arranged marriages and is pretty old fashioned in today’s day. If you have parents that are sticklers about this tradition though, you can have a first look before the ceremony. It’s more modern and intimate, and it still keeps the suspense of the groom having to wait until the wedding day to see his bride. Rather than having your fiancé react to seeing you for the first time as you walk down the aisle in front of a small or large crowd of friends and family, you can have that special moment alone together. It also means more quality time for the two of you on this big day.

Your engagement ring should be a diamond

It is said that wearing a diamond in a gold setting helps protect you from evil spirits and demons. This tradition, while still timeless, is not completely trendy today. This accessory will be something you wear everyday so keep that in mind and choose something that reflects your style.

Your wedding dress should be white

Nope! This is one of the wedding traditions that proves they can change. A lot of brides opt for something that, once again, represents their personal style. You want to look and feel your best on your wedding day and that may mean wearing something other than the traditional white wedding gown. There are so many options out there too. You can choose a gown that’s a completely different color or you can add pops of color like died tulle under a your skirt for a unique, but subtle look.

Your bridal party must match

In 2019 we will definitely see bridal parties wearing multi-colored, varying patterns, and different cut dresses. Don’t expect to see monochromatic color schemes or shades of white. Each bridesmaid is beautiful and unique and giving them the freedom to choose a dress within your style and design parameters, will help them feel and look great. Also, more bridal parties are co-ed today. You aren’t really going to have your guy best friend in a purple tux are you? Have fun mix and matching your bridal party!

You must send save-the-date cards

[embed]https://vimeo.com/121931937[/embed] Forget it, we live in a digital age now and people are incredibly creative and talented! Even for more formal wedding events sending a save-the-date by mail is out of style. Instead, hiring a professional photographer to create a beautiful keepsake and digital invitation for your friends and family is the way to go in 2019. Many couples will also be creating wedding websites where their guests can rsvp, look at your wedding registry, and receive updates leading up to the big day.

Posted on January 17, 2019

2019 Wedding Trends & Ideas

Happy New Year and Hello Wedding Trends!

Another year of weddings has gone by and we are ringing in the new year with this list of wedding trends for 2019. We are so excited to see the romance, design, and wow-elements that this year will bring in the world of wedding trends!

Extended Engagements

Take the pressure off yourselves and set your wedding date far in the future and just enjoy each step of the process. Put on all the fun little events that happen while you are engaged, like the engagement party or dinner. This is also a good time to take care of your body so that you are feeling and looking your absolute best on your big day. Having a longer engagement will help you finance your wedding, but it also gives you time for financial talks as a couple. Set goals to prioritize and start your married life on the same page.

Backyard Weddings

One of Pinterest’s highest searched keywords by brides-to-be last year was “Backyard Weddings”! This has always been a popular choice for couples and families looking for a budget friendly venue option that is comfortable for everyone. We love the backyard wedding because helps set your guests at ease and puts everyone in the mood to party! It’s nice being able to save a little money to put towards a future home, your honeymoon, or maybe beef up the design budget. Photo from Minnow Park Photography.

Violet Florals

2019 Florals will be wild, bold, and free! We will see violet colored flowers making a splash in many bouquets and floral designs. Pantone’s color of the year was purple! Think bright orchids and vervain, or pretty pansies that will pack a purple punch.

Alternate Reception Entertainment

We are really looking forward to seeing are all the unique entertainment ideas for 2019 weddings. Having a DJ or band for music is surely a must to get everyone moving during the reception. However, having other types of entertainment for your guests to be involved with throughout the evening will put everyone in party mode! For example think, tarot readings, a classic photo booth, ice cream bar, horse shoes, archery or acrobatic performers! Don’t forget to hire a photographer to capture all the candid instagrammable moments! Photo from Style Me Pretty.

Dress Trends

There’s been a lot of gorgeous looks coming off the runway for 2019. Check out our recent blog: The Best Fall Bridal Looks from 2018. Pass these four trends along to your brides as a perfect option to try: Off-the shoulder, detailed backs, royal inspired, and minimalist. Photos by Lucky Bridals.

Posted on January 10, 2019

Photo by Taylor Harding

Old. New. Borrowed. Blue.

We’ve learned that the happiest brides are ones that find ways to make conventional wedding traditions represent their personal style, their family, and their personality. One of our favorite traditions that any bride can have fun with is wearing “something borrowed and something blue”. This English tradition has been bringing brides good luck and fortune since the 1800s. The original rhyme is “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe”. However, what began as a way to bless the bride with good luck and fidelity is now also a way to create timeless keepsakes and show some creativity.

How real brides are making traditions their own!

In Hawaii, one bride went beach-combing before her sunset wedding. On the beach she found a white rock and decided to use it as her something borrowed. She placed the small rock in her bouquet for the ceremony. Then, before she left she tossed it back to the sea. Wedding Traditions for You

Jessica Belew of Bremerton, WA, had some precious items as her good luck charms. She wrapped a handkerchief around her bouquet that “had [her] name and wedding date embroidered in blue [and] had the appliques from [her] mom’s veil stitched on.” It is now a treasured family heirloom that she hopes her daughter will use one day. Another more unconventional bride made her family and friends’ smiles widen when she walked down the aisle with a borrowed tennis racket from her new mother-in-law in her bouquet. That’s one way to show a family’s history of sports!

Whatever you do, make wedding traditions you!

Culture, family, personality, and religion can all play a big part in the wedding planning process. While juggling it all can be stressful, we hope you’ll remember to have fun and look for unique ideas that make your wedding day memorable. Whether it is a nerdy groom’s cake, a sapphire ribbon sewn into your dress, skydiving in your wedding attire, or memorable thank you cards there is a variety of options to make your special day less conventional.

Check out more Old. New. Borrowed. Blue. Ideas here!

Posted on September 09, 2018

Be Inspired by these Wedding Dresses from Around the World

When you are planning your wedding and finding yourself a little stuck, it's always a good idea to take a look at the traditions of other cultures. Not to steal their traditions, but to recognize the beauty and power behind the traditions. This will pretty much guarantee a break out of your funk as you get inspired by the symbolism of color and the relationship of clothing to the wedding ceremony. So this week, we went hunting to find gorgeous and inspiring wedding dresses from around the world. We stumbled across Fashion Wanderer's top 50 and narrowed down our favorites to 10! If you would like to see the full list, check it out here.

Nigeria

Brides from Nigeria will most likely be found in a brightly colored traditional Igbo wedding gown. For Nigerian brides, bright colors are always better!

Morocco

50 Jaw Dropping Gorgeous Wedding Dresses Around The World

Moroccan brides wear what is called a Caftan. This is a white robe, made of materials such a silk and chiffon. The dress underneath is usually adorned with sequins and embroidery.

Macedonia

Macedonian brides wear a wedding outfit that weighs upwards of 50 pounds! With over 45 pieces this wedding gown is full of tradition and symbolic meanings.

Ghana

Wedding couples in Ghana wear matching wedding clothing. Woven with bright colors and vivid designs, these wedding clothes are in a league of their own.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, brides wear a traditional Kebab and intricate headpieces made of gold and jewels.

Japan

In Japan, brides will wear a white kimono during the marriage ceremony. White being a symbol for purity. After the ceremony, she will typically change into a red kimono, with red being a powerful symbol for luck! Guatamala

It's pretty typical in Guatemala to find brides in what we think of as the traditional white wedding dresses. However, in some regions brides will often don a woven gown and a custom white veil. The veil being the most important part with average lengths up to six feet! Why? In this tradition the longer the veil the happier the married life! Italy

While white is the most popular wedding dress color in Italy, you'll also find italian brides wearing green dresses and accessories on their wedding day. Why? Green is a symbol of Ukraine

Ukrainian couples, or more specifically those from Hutsuls, wear bright and lively colors on their wedding day. This matches the wedding events as they are full of fun, dancing, games, and even jokes.

Posted on July 11, 2018

Perfect Pick: Look of Love

Why We Love It

Spring and Summer brides! Our "The Look of Love" wedding cake topper is the perfect pick for your wedding! We love this simple, and yet romantic, spin on the traditional bride and groom cake topper because it will work with many different wedding themes and styles. The playful pose of this bride and groom fits nicely with a more casual wedding look, but also can be framed nicely by a more formal wedding affair.

About This Cake Topper

You have options to customize the hair color of both the bride and groom, as well as the bride's shoes and bouquet. The figurine measures at four and a half inches tall. The pose of this wedding cake topper does require that the cake offers the right kind of support, so be sure to consult with your baker to ensure this cake topper will work.

Themes and Styles

This wedding cake topper is traditional enough that it can go with most wedding styles, however it's unique posing does offer it an edge in the following wedding themes:

Spring Fling
Sweethearts
Boho
Romantic
Floral
Hollywood Romance
Summer Love

Where to Get It

You can snag this "Look of Love" cake topper here! You can also find similar cake toppers in our Traditional, Funny, and Vintage Wedding Cake Topper categories.

Shop weddingcollectibles.com for all your premier wedding accessories!

Posted on June 14, 2018

8 Ideas for Your Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue

Something Old

Image result for this is us kate wedding

1. When deciding on something old, first look to those in your family that are important to you. This became such an apparent reason behind why something old became part of this wedding tradition as we all (if your not you should) watch This is Us's Kaite-girl trying to find something of her dad's to walk down the aisle with her on her wedding day. For Kate Pearson, it might have been a case of finding balance in feeling grief and letting go, but it's more than understandable to want her something old to stand in for her dad. So if someone is missing from your wedding, maybe this little tradition can help fill that gap (at least a little bit). 2. Another great option is a family heirloom. Many families even pass down specific things for their brides to wear. It can be something big like the wedding dress, or small like a bracelet or a tiara. Either way, it fits the bill of something old, and with a lot of meaning behind it!

Something New

For your something new, you will want to think about the new family you are creating. It's not just, "oh I bought this dress new or this hair clip is new". Really, that's just no fun and not in the spirit of the tradition! 3. A great ideas would be to have a monogrammed handkerchief with the initials of your new name. You can find a great one here! 4. Or if you aren't changing your name, then you could do something like have a brand new key made of your first home together as a married couple that could be added to your bouquet or even sown into your dress.

Something Borrowed

This is another one that you can have some sentimental fun with. 5. A bride with a group of best gal friends or sisters might share an item from each of their weddings as their something borrowed. 6. Borrow something from a person or couple whose relationship you admire. This could be something from their wedding or something they consider special to their relationship. For example, you could "borrow" their song for your wedding dance!

Something Blue

Now, something blue is supposed to represent the purity of the marriage and the promise of fidelity. While anything could be your blue item, choosing something that really works with what it is symbolizing actually will add more meaning to your wedding. 7. A great option for this would be to add it to your wedding ring. Of course if you are dead set against colored gemstones in your wedding rings, then this won't work. But if not, it really is a very meaningful option. Many jewelers will even inlay a gemstone on the inside of the wedding band. Depending on how thing your band is, this could be an amazing something blue! 8. Another way to go would be to add the blue to your wedding dress! Some brides might make it a real focal point, but one of our favorites is when it is used as stitching to add in a message on the bodice or train of the dress. Some brides have done hearts or names, other's quotes or a line of their vows. No matter what you choose, it tends to be pretty special

Posted on April 04, 2018

Fun and somewhat strange wedding traditions

Weddings are full of tradition, but where do these traditions come from? Are they the same everywhere you go? Really, weddings look as different on one side of the world than the other as they do from one time period than another. This is important to keep in mind when you are planning your wedding. Following tradition is great, but there are so many different traditions out there, that if you wanted to pull a bit from each you would end up with a non-traditional traditional wedding!

Let's take a look at some different and somewhat strange wedding traditions across the world and throughout history:

1) In parts of Africa the parents of the bride and groom bring fire from each of their hearths to light the hearth of the newlyweds. What a neat way to show a blessing on a marriage and the continuation of their families! 2) The tradition to have tiered cakes came from a game where a bride and groom tried to kiss over their cake (some tried to make it really challenging!) without knocking it over. This seems like a tradition that needs to be brought back! 3) Speaking of wedding cakes, they started way back when in ancient Rome when Romans would break a loaf of bread over the brides head to ensure fertility! 4) The month of June is a popular month for weddings. Heck there are even movies about it! But do you know why? It all stemmed from the goddess Juno because she is the ruler over marriage, home, and childbirth! 5) In Denmark it was tradition for the bride and groom to cross dress as a way of confusing evil spirits. Quite a different image than the little girl one day dreaming of her wedding dress! 6) Unlike many western brides who work to shed weight to look their "best" on their wedding days, Mauritania brides are actually sent to "fat farms" to ensure that they have stomach rolls, stretch marks, and touching thighs. It is supposed to represent that their new husband is wealthy enough to keep her luxuriously fed. 7) In India, women who are born as Mangliks (something to do with the location of Mars and Saturn) are thought to be cursed. The curse would cause an early death for her husband. So, to break the curse she must first be married to a tree that is then cut down.

Which strange wedding traditions would you try and which do you find the most strange?

Posted on November 10, 2017

The Maid of Honor is your Right Hand Gal

Who your maid of honor is, is a pretty important decision because the maid of honor can end up playing a big role in how smoothly your wedding goes. Most women simply look at who their BFF is at the time of the wedding, but you might want to be a little more particular when choosing who will play that role.

First stop: How involved do you need the maid of honor to be?

This is the first stop because it is probably the most important factor to consider. If your maid of honor will need to take on responsibilities like planning a shower, bachelorette party, attending any and all dress fittings for yourself and your bridesmaids, coordinating the flowers, picking up GiGi from the airport (we could go on and on), then it is really going to narrow down who you should choose as your maid of honor. Once you have determined what you need, consider the following:

Age:
- It may not be a good fit if who you want is not yet an adult. One bride said she regretted asking her 16 year old sister to serve as maid of honor. They were close and she didn't think she needed too much help with the wedding, but she ended up needing more than the sister could handle. Turned out that even the smallest tasks were too much for her. The bride either had to do it completely by herself or be dissapointed.
Location:
- This one can be hard because the person that you want to be your maid of honor may just live too far away to help. If you choose to have a maid of honor that lives more than 30 minutes away, just be sure that your expectations are consistent with how hard it will be for her to step up. Some brides will even choose to have co-maids of honor to balance it out.

Second Stop: What emotions are going to be involved?

What we mean by this is that choosing a maid of honor may involve a bit of drama. For example, we had a bride tell us that she really wanted her best friend to be her maid of honor. However she had a childhood friend who wanted to be it too. So when it came to decide, she chose her current best friend and her other friend refused to attend the wedding. This doesn't mean that you should make your decision around other people's feelings. It is your wedding. However, it may be a good idea to make sure your aware of any complicated reactions to your choice. If you are particularly nervous about this possibility, try reading our blog "How to Tell Someone They Won't be a Bridesmaid" to get some guidance.

Posted on August 03, 2017

Your first wedding anniversary is a special one. You are still all extra lovey-dovey, you have made it through the first year of adjustment, and you are looking forward excitedly toward the future. So, how are you going to celebrate? Start the date out by getting ready is separate rooms. Have your sweet husband "pick you up" either at the front door or even at your bedroom door. Sometimes being married means that romance will get shuffled to the side, so it can be fun to encourage the night with the butterflies of anticipation.

What you go and do, is going to depend on you and your tastes, but I would suggest going out somewhere you either have never been or don't usually go to. This could be an expensive restaurant, something thrilling like rock climbing, renting out a boat and taking the romantic evening out to sea, or a weekend get away. The important thing is to do something that will break routines. Next, something else to make the night special is to fill it with surprises. This goes along with the idea to go do something different and fun, but adds in a sprinkle of gifts. You can do a series of small gifts throughout the night, or you can just give one (it doesn't even have to be expensive). As we discussed earlier this week, the traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper. To see ideas of how to get creative with this gift read our blog, "1st Wedding Anniversary Traditions".

End the night by keeping with tradition and share that top layer of your wedding cake. If you looked ahead and saved your top tier for your anniversary, you will surely be rewarded with deliciousness and sentimentality (ie. lovey-dovey-ness). If you didn't save it, try and see if you can get a small cake like your wedding cake by the baker that worked your wedding. Some bakers actually offer making you a cake on your 1st anniversary as a part of your original purchase.

Posted on August 29, 2014

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