Expert Advice

{"A bride should treat the purchase of her wedding gown

as an investment. It is the strongest representation of a

woman's personal style she'll ever have~ not to mention

the most important dress she'll ever wear."}

~ Oscar de la Renta

Have you grabbed your latest spring edition of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine yet? Fabulous as always...... a super interview with Oscar de la Renta on page 180. He gives a lot of great advice on how to choose the perfect wedding gown. I loved his response when asked, "What would you say to someone who is hesitant to splurge on her wedding dress?" Now, I realize he's a designer and his job is to sell wedding gowns, but his quote not only comes off as a great advertisement- it really has some truth to it!

I've been struggling with the idea of buying your wedding gown from "Wal-Mart" type of stores....Why would someone want to buy their wedding gown from there? Isn't anything sacred anymore?? I have a friend who just ordered two "Wal- Mart" dresses. When I asked about the quality, her fiance and her said at the same time, "Who cares? You're only going to wear it once." Hmmmmm...... Okay, so this is the mentality of buying your wedding gown??

I'm not saying you need to spend thousands to have a quality gown. A big reason why my mom started designing Millie is because she wanted to offer a quality gown without having to spend a month's salary on it. I know it's hard to spend a lot of money on something you only wear once, but it's your wedding day. You can wear "Wal-Mart" everyday of the year but please...not on your wedding day.

Outdoor Wedding Blog

I wanted to mention our friend Kim Knox Beckius at Outdoor Wedding (okay, I haven't really met her, but anyone who talks nice about Millie is a friend:) Back in January, she did a post about us. We were so excited to be featured on her blog. Thank you so much!

Kim Knox Beckius is the author of The Everything Outdoor Wedding Book and is Senior Writer for Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine. If you're planning or thinking about having an Outdoor Wedding, this is the place to start!

Unity Candle Part II- The Story Behind the Picture

After I posted the picture yesterday, I realized it was kind of funny because I'm the only one lighting the Unity Candle (yep, that's me!). My mom and sister thought I better tell the story-

If I have any good wedding tips to give from my own experience, it would be to make sure you dig out the wick of your Unity Candle before the ceremony. Ha! I'm not sure how long it took us to light our candle, but it felt like ETERNITY! We could NOT get the candle to light. I finally took the matter in my own hands and lit the sucker (leave it to the woman to get it done, right? Ha! Ha!)! I remember jokingly asking Father while we were trying to light the candle if it was a "Sign"? Later, at the reception, someone came up to me and told me they couldn't believe I had said that during the ceremony. HA! That makes me laugh now thinking about it.... Ironically, not giving up on the Unity Candle truly represents our marriage today. We've been married for 10 years now; we've had our ups and downs like every marriage, but we never give up!

Unity Candle

{photo by Chad Mahlum}

The Purpose

The Unity Candle is a symbol of the individuals joining together in marriage to form one unit. Individual wants and needs still exist, but the good of the whole must be considered. A new edifice is created which is stronger for the combining. When this ceremony is added, it can give emphasis to the commitment and add drama to your service.

The Ceremony

The Unity Candle consists of two tapered candles representing the bride and groom and a large pillar candle that is lit from the tapers at the end of the ceremony to represent the two have become one. Some couples prefer to use colored sand and mingle into one. There is usually a song during this time. Since the lighting finishes before the song ends, it is best to add more to the ceremony.

Some couples will go to the Mother-of-the-Bride and present a single flower stem and an embrace and then to the Mother-of-the-Groom. It allows the parents the first opportunity to congratulate the couple and also includes family as being very important to the couple.

Another option is to have the marriage certificate on the altar and have the Best Man, Maid of Honor, the officiate, and the couple sign during this time. This allows the guests to be witnesses and gives a sense of completion.

Wedding Bee

What a great blog for brides!!! Your own little "Beehive" where brides can "Buzz" all they want with other "Buzzing Bees". Mrs. Bee (the founder) was definitely on to something when she was getting married and created this "Buziful Blog". If you want ideas and other bride's opinions, this is a great site! (How's that for linkage? Ha!)

I'm quickly discovering that the posts on wedding dresses are the most popular. Last night, a guest blogger did a great post asking for some help on finding her wedding gown. I couldn't believe the response she got. So many opinions! How in the world is she going to decide?

My mom often talks about brides in her shop and how quickly they can get confused (I have witnessed several "Confusearilla Brides"). It really is a tough choice for brides these days. So many gorgeous gowns...and of course, you want to try them ALL on! "BIG mistake, HUGE!" (Pretty Woman). I know it's so tempting to try every last wedding gown on, but this will be a step in the wrong direction...Trust me!! It will only make you more confused.

Here are a few quick tips to help you decide on your wedding gown:

1. Look at bridal magazines and on the internet to get ideas of current styles that you love.


2. Remember, not every style you love is going to flatter your body shape, so go for what you feel and look the best in. Trust your intuition- it's okay to ask others for their opinions, but how you feel in the gown is more important than what anyone else thinks.


3. A well-constructed gown will flatter your body and will not require a long-line bra or extra crinoline. Be wary of knock-offs....You get what you pay for.


4. Find a good seamstress that is experienced in bridal alterations.


5. Once you've bought your gown, stop looking!!

If you have more questions and want to ask Millie for some more advice about your wedding gown, please feel free to leave a comment.

Lifting of the Veil

How Did it Start?

In the not so distant past, marriages were arranged, sometimes before a person was born. The groom did not see his bride until after they were pronounced Man & Wife. The veil hid the bride's face from view. This was how Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel in the book of Genesis.

Symbol of Innocence

The veil is the one thing a second time bride is suppose to relinquish since it is a symbol of innocence, not the white dress. Many second time brides will wear the veil but do not cover the face.

Two Traditions

Many brides prefer to give their father the honor of lifting the veil. The bride comes down the aisle with her father with the veil covering her face. At the front of the church the minister asks, “Who gives this woman?” The father says, “I do,” lifts her veil, and gives her a kiss before taking his seat.

The second tradition is to keep the face covered until the kiss. The minister says, “You may kiss the bride,” The bride turns to her maid-of-honor and hands her the bouquet. The maid-of–honor lifts the veil. The bride turns back to her new husband for the kiss. The minister introduces the new Mr. and Mrs. ________ to the congregation. The music starts and they then proceed out of the church. This can be a very dramatic conclusion to the ceremony.

Be Organized & Stress Free - Getting Started

The next six to twelve months will be a very exciting time for you. There are many things you should do now and many that will have to wait until the last minute. What’s first?

In my opinion, the most important thing you can do right now is get a three-ring binder with pocket dividers. You’ll use this to keep contracts from all of the vendors you will deal with. Also, cut out pictures of gowns, flowers, cakes, decorations, colors, and anything else you like. “A picture is worth a thousand words” maybe an old saying, but it is still very true. Show your vendors what you like. It’ll be much easier. Start collecting names and addresses early. Sending your invitations is the hardest job of all.

The second thing to do is get a good wedding planning book. A planner will give you a list of details that you would never think of yourself. Keep a notepad and pencil by your bed. When you wake up in the middle of the night with another detail, write it down so you can go back to sleep. If not, you will stay awake all night trying to remember.

When you are able to locate all of these pieces easily, you’ll be so glad you started out organized.