Two Weeks To "I Do" with Jenna & Jon

Posted by Jenna and Jon, the soon-to-be Mr. & Mrs. Yasgur, 16 days and counting…

Jenna (a calligrapher and former Anthropologie window display creator) and Jon (an ad man) will be sharing their daily doings, stresses, and successes, posting here daily leading up to their big day on May 16th. Their super creative and seriously personalized Brooklyn-based wedding will appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

The backstory: Seven years ago, Jenna moved from Minneapolis to Kansas City to be a designer at Hallmark Cards. At the same time, Jon moved from the same old city (where he and Jenna had never managed to meet) to the same new city to work at an ad agency.

They met at a party for creative professionals and instantly bonded. Two years later, they moved to Brooklyn to start a new life together.

And in 15 days, they’ll become husband and wife.

Not your mom's wedding gown...

Posted by Sherri Caudell Brennan, Shopping and Fashion Market Expert

Not every bride dreams of princess trains and tulle ballgowns—I know, I was one of them. If you're one of them, too, try one of these less traditional gowns. Ready-to-wear gowns are a great way to go if you're not into all the bells and whistles, and they can give you a more bohemian, natural feel. They can even be easier on your wallet. And while they don't make the grand gesture of a full fledged wedding dress, they do make a subtly sophisticated statement worth admiring.

From left to right: first row-Tadashi, Mint, J.Crew, Kay Unger. second row-J.Crew, Charles Nolan, Paule Ka.

So, who's opting for a less traditional dress? Why did you choose it and where did you get it?

Grace is a Mrs.!

Posted by Shira Savada, Real Weddings Editor

Well, after all that planning, Grace is finally married! Three of us flew down to Savannah for the wedding last weekend, and all went off without a hitch. As was to be expected, Grace remained true to her name— graceful. While the weather had been uncharacteristically warm for late April (it was 90+ and sunny), the temperature thankfully dropped just prior to the ceremony and felt perfectly springlike. Grace and Aaron seemed to enjoy themselves and the company of their guests. The food was delicious, the flowers were lush, and the music had the newlywed couple dancing for hours. All the little details were great too… but you’ll have to wait for our Fall issue to see them in print.

Above is a little snapshot courtesy of the photobooth they had at their wedding. Grace and Aaron seem to have a thing for photobooths and will now have a few shots to add to their collection.

Grace will be posting the third week of each month until her wedding appears in the pages of our magazine. And we’ll also be sharing some more behind-the-scenes tidbits and photos, too. Can’t wait for you to see it!

It's Getting Hot In Here

Posted by Katie Hatch, Style Director

Maybe it's just that our offices are hot, but I'm ready for an icy treat.

We just came back from shooting Grace Bonney's wedding, where she provided something very sweet to keep her guests cool before the ceremony. You'll have to check out our Fall issue to find out the details (I know, I'm a tease). But while I was there, I started thinking about other things that could be provided to guests as they wait—before a ceremony, during a procession back to a reception site, or during an outdoor cocktail hour. Well, how about a popsicle? The picture above is from a great story on homemade popsicles from the Martha Stewart Kids magazine (click through the image to get some recipe ideas).  And if you aren't up for making them yourself, or even asking your caterer to do it, you could always just buy your guests some paletas, Mexican popsicles with really interesting flavors (like cucumber chile, mango chile, mexican papaya, etc). They're easy enough to find in most Southwestern cities, and this Travel and Leisure article has some good sources for them. Also, the Palapa Azul website has a store locator for their paletas and other frozen treats. (You may want to try the delicious sweet corn-flavored ice cream and their hibiscus sorbet). 

What are you doing for your guests to help them beat the heat?

White Wedding

Posted by Jennifer Miranda, Associate Editor

Admittedly, I'm not much of a dessert person (I choose Buffalo wings over cake any day!), but even I can appreciate that sheer moment of joy every bride must feel when, bogged down by vendor appointments and dress fittings, cake-tasting time arrives. In our latest issue of Weddings, we feature whisper-light white cakes that are sure to please even the most savory palette.

You can find the full story on our website by clicking the link above, but here are a few outtakes from the shoot, including one towering confection that sadly didn't make it into the magazine.

Meringue is an unexpected choice of frosting. Choose the cake and filling you like best, then cover it in these pillowy peaks.


A slice of coconut cake contrasts the fruit's nutty shavings with a sweet, light, creamy filling.


I LOVE the mod, geometric look of this truffle cake by Fritz Knipschildt. Unfortunately, we couldn't fit it into the magazine, but it was an all-around staff favorite! Just beautiful.


Once the dancing is done, treat your guests to a midnight snack of milkshakes and beignets, complete with tuile cookie straw. Whoever said you can outgrow milk and cookies?

Vows—To Write or Not To Write

Posted by Darcy Miller, Editorial Director

Recently, I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal called "Outsourcing Your Wedding Vows." In it, the writer researched four companies that, based on the information the couple provides, will write the couple's vows for them. Here they are in no particular order.

Ghostwriters Central
Special Occasion Poetry
Enchantment Online
Instant Vows

At first, I thought it seemed so wrong to actually pay someone else to write some of the most personal words you’ll ever say. But as I read on and thought about it, I started to think it was actually a good idea. Don't get me wrong—if you can write the vows yourself, I think that's best. But if you're having trouble and writing seems overwhelming to you, why not get a little help. After all, we talk SO much about the dress, the flowers, the cake, but what this entire celebration is really about is those few minutes where a couple says their vows to each other. My husband and I each said three lines about why we were marrying each other, part sentimental and part funny. I think it was the best two minutes of our entire wedding.

How about you? Are you writing your own vows? Outsourcing? Exchanging traditional vows?

Put Your Stamp On It

Posted by Katie Hatch, Style Director

One of the first stories I did when I started at Weddings in 2000 was about using rubber stamps at your wedding. It wasn't my idea, and when Rebecca Thuss gave me the assignment, I remember she sort of had to convince me that people actually liked rubber stamps. Looking back, I can't believe I was so skeptical, considering how much I love rubber stamping now. So, I rounded up a couple of my favorites:

First of all, the cabbage-rose print, above left, is actually made from radicchio. I love that it's a low cost, and you can play around to see if you like the pattern. Try it down the center of a tablecloth (maybe as a runner) or all over on either cloth or paper napkins.

And on the right, the wood block print is actually just a linoleum print, which if you've never done and you like the wood block print look, you should definitely try. You can get the supplies—the lino itself and the carving tools—at most craft stores. Then, find or develop your design and trace it onto the lino in order to carve it out.  I hope I'm not making it sound hard because lino is really quite soft and easy to work with.  Have any of you ever tried it? Again, I like this because it's a relatively low-cost way to get your own one-of-a-kind stamp.

And I love these two because they're unusual applications for stamps. Did you realize you can stamp on glass? I didn't until I saw it being done in the crafts department. I love the idea of stamping your basic cylinders to get a customized look.

And on the right, Wendy Kromer stamped right into the fondant on this cake with a clean, new stamp. What's nice is that you can take a single motif and weave it from your stationery through your centerpiece to your cake.

What do you think about rubber stamps? Love 'em or leave 'em? Are any of you using them to decorate your wedding?

Creative Candles

Posted by Britni Wood, Style Expert

If you've ever planned a wedding, you know how important friends and family are in the planning process. But it's often hard to find ways to thank everyone. That's where Creative Candles comes in. They make the most lovely Taper Candle Gift Set that says "thank you" in an elegant and thoughtful way. Whether you're thanking your wedding party, wedding guests or wedding vendors, all will agree that these taper candles are a wonderful gift. The set includes four pairs of 12" tapers in a wide range of colors and two tailored glass candle holders.

I'm a little partial to the Paris Gray, but there are so many colors to choose from. You can work the gift into your color palette or personalize the colors for each recipient. How do you plan on thanking the ones who made your big day even more special?

Craft Store Bliss

scrapbook paper above courtesy of marthastewartcrafts.com

Posted by Alexis Givens, Real Bride and marthastewartweddings.com Editor

The warm weather I've been craving for months has finally arrived! So, I decided to take a quick trip to Michaels (the mega craft store) to do some brainstorming about decorations for my August wedding. I figured I'd be in and out in about an hour and could happily craft all day in my backyard. Little did I know that even though the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day, the allure of craft products would keep me from my beloved sunshine.

First stop: Michaels in Stamford, CT

Total time scheduled: 1 hour
Time spent: 2 hours

I came armed with my 40% off one item coupon and the knowledge that if you get to Michaels early and peruse the clearance row, you've got the chance to find treasures beyond your wildest dreams.

*Materials found: Clearance bag of wood dowels.
My idea: Use these to create flags for people to wave when we are walking out of the ceremony.

*Materials found: Stack of scrapbook paper in the perfect blue hues.
My idea: Paper for the flags above. I think these will look great in photos when everyone is waving their flags in delight.

*Materials Found: Clearance stack of cute gingham scrapbook paper in blue vellum.
My idea: Use these as fun place mats for our barbecue rehearsal dinner.

*Materials Found: super cute mid century modern animal stickers (very Alexander Girard in style. Jackpot! He happens to be one of my favorite designers of all time).
My idea: Perfect for the hotel welcome bags for families with kids. Love that they are all woodsy animals for our Colorado location.

Stepparents and the Wedding Invitation

Posted by Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette Expert

A reader recently asked (via our AskMartha@MarthaStewartWeddings.com e-mail box) us how to word her invitation. Since invitations tend to get pretty prickly, I thought I'd share our answer.

Her dad and stepmom are paying for the wedding, with help from the bride and groom. But she wants to recognize her mother and her stepfather, as well as her fiancé's parents (who are also divorced but not remarried). I think it's nice that she doesn't want to opt for the "Together with their families" solution, but that's always an option.

Here's what we came up with (let's pretend our bride's name is Cornelia Louise Fiske; she is marrying Charles Walker Johnson):

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Robert LoGiudice
Mr. and Mrs. Francis Allan Fiske
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Cornelia Louise Fiske
to
Mr. Charles Walker Johnson
son of
Mrs. Ellen Marie Johnson
Mr. Ellis William Johnson

If you have a similar situation, here's what you need to know.

Rule No. 1: Status in the family is not for sale. The bride's parents are the traditional hosts of the wedding (unless there's a serious rift, or unless the couple is hosting solo); therefore, they go first. It doesn't matter which of them is actually paying the bills. Hosting is a symbolic act more than a financial one.

Rule No. 2: Mothers always come first. (Simply, they've known you longer.)

Rule No. 3: People who are not married to one another do not have their names connected by the word "and."

Are you going to include your stepparents in the host lines? Will the groom's parents' names appear on your invitation? Don't forget to write in with your invitation inquiries. I'd love to help!