Hi ladies! I told you there were changes a brewin’… 

After much thought we’ve decided to expand Be My Bridesmaid  to all of the ladies of the aisle. So Wedding Belles Online is for the bride-to-be, and her bridesmaids to plan and gather together for the big day. After all you’re all belles of the wedding!

We realized that a lot of our readers were brides, reading up on how the world looks through the eyes of her bridesmaids anyway, so we figured we include everyone in the fun! 

Embrace the change. It’s good I promise. You won’t even notice. And when you do, you’ll love it!

Thank you so much for your unending support and patience!

My wonderful friend Gina… who is happily involved in a relationship passed this blog-worthy article on to me to share with you all. I have to agree that being single during wedding season can be a bit angst ridden… it’s also a really great opportunity to meet nice, hot, single guys too. Ok, maybe just hot ones, but you could get lucky and meet the hot ones who are also nice. There are so few.

Single groomsmen are especially fun, I’ve found. Well maybe I just got lucky… But weddings can be really fun if the bridal party is made up of mostly single friends. We’re kind of a good time.

Some notes to the wedding planners, brides and reluctant grooms… 

 A “single table” at a wedding, that’s suggested here, isn’t my favorite idea, but it’s ok with the right group. Especially if all of the singles happen to know each other, or know of each other first. Another fun thing to do is have an engagement party or have a rehearsal dinner that includes all out of town guests so  that singles can meet and mingle BEFORE the wedding actually happens.

 DO NOT DRAG US KICKING AND SCREAMING OUT TO CATCH THE BOUQUET. In fact do away with it altogether and just give it to your sister. You know she wants it.

If most of your guest list consists of couples and a “few” single friends. Give them the OPTION of bringing a date. Especially if you haven’t spoken to them in awhile and aren’t positive they’re not in a serious relationship.  Just because you haven’t met your best girlfriend’s handsome, intelligent, successful boyfriend who also happens to be one hell of a threat on the dance floor… doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist.  If your friend wants to come stag, they will. But not giving them the option of bringing a date, when everyone else will be paired off, is kind of like pinning a scarlet “S” on them and calling it a night. Bad form.

And one last note to all of the married, engaged and otherwise taken friends of the single… lay off. We’re single because we want to be and we have high standards and we don’t need to be pitied or harped on. We’re fabulous.

Happy almost end of wedding season… sort of.

Courtesy of Alfred Angelo

Brides magazine online, a Conde Nast publication which also does Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, recently blogged about the new line of jersey knit bridesmaid dresses from Alfred Angelo. If bridesmaid dresses can go from hot n’ stuffy to chic and fabulously comfortable… I’m definitely in. Check out the new line at Alfred Angelo’s website, or check out Brides Magazine for more information. Enjoy!

I had to share this with you all. My friend Lisa is getting married in the fall, and I can’t wait for her shower. Bet you never thought I’d be this excited for a shower right? Well Lisa is having my all-time favorite kind of shower… the DISPLAY SHOWER! No wrapping of gifts and more importantly no unwrapping of gifts! Just a nice fun afternoon with friends to celebrate your engagement with oversize boxes of stemless wine glasses, ice cream makers and Tupperware looking on naked from the corner.

 Fabulous.

If you remember awhile back, I told you about how display showers are my favorite kind of bridal showers. They take the “stuffiness” out of the shower and make the day about the bride rather than the gifts and the three hours it takes to open them all. It’s a tricky thing to word on an invite without offending the more old-fashioned women folk, but if you can do it right, it’s a great alternative to tradition.

Here’s how Lisa’s shower invite was worded:

” At the request of the bride, this will be a casual “display” shower.  Please bring your gifts unwrapped, so that Lisa has more time to enjoy your company.”

Wonderful.  Can’t wait!