Two Feet and Four Paws

I am the proud pet parent of a 3 year old male Schipperke (dog) "Bear" who my fiance and I have raised since he was a wee pup at 7 weeks old. He's been with us through thick and thin and is the joy of our lives. Some pet parents choose to have their pet included in their nuptials as the ring bearer or flower girl. Before including your furry companion in your bridal party, check with the venue first (unless it's at home) if pets are allowed. If so, think really hard having your dog in the wedding, especially if your dog has some issues that could hinder the wedding or worse.

Did I see a cat?! Where is it?! Lemme at it!

Not every pet will be able to sit still and behave for a period of time without getting distracted. There are some pets that will behave, but once you turn your back it could be an entirely different story.

This sure beats dog biscuits!

No two pets are the same and if there are multiple pets, be careful with pairing them if they weren't raised in the same home . I do not recommend including your four legged companion if they have issues with separation, crowds and/or children (if you plan on having any at the wedding).

Hey, what am I chopped liver?!!!

Moral of the story: Best friend doesn't always mean they'll be on their best behavior.

Stark Raving Bride and Groom

Planning a wedding is a joyful and stressful time. There's so much to do and only so much time before the big day. Typically the father and/or mother of the bride was the one to foot the bill for the wedding, while the bride did the planning. Now that has changed with the bride and groom both footing the bill and planning the wedding. It can be stressful, but there are ways to release it without hurting anyone's feelings in the process. Unfortunately that isn't always true with some brides. Even as a fellow bride-to-be, I still can't fathom how someone can go from normal to the the monster we all know as bridezilla. We all want our wedding to be wonderful, but some brides demand total perfection and refuse to accept anything less, even if it means drastic measures and seems tactless and downright rude in everyone else's eyes. If bridezilla's expectations aren't met, you can be sure that she will incur her wrath on all who stand in her way.

The My Super Sweet 16 girls on Mtv have nothing on her.

It's easy to get consumed with the wedding plans, but the most consuming of all bridezillas are their egos. The things that come out of a bridezillas mouth always have the words "me" "I" "mine" or "my" in it..

Megalomania much?

Now there is a small, but growing amount of these monsters lurking from the shadows called the Groomzilla. It's bad when you have bridezilla, but when bride and groomzilla unite, be afraid....be very very afraid.

The groom of doom.

Moral of the story: Keep your cool and perspective. This day may be about you, but don't forget that there is no I in We. A wedding is only one day, but marriage is a lifetime.

Guests Gone Bad

For any special event, it is wise to be on your best behavior and don your finest attire for the occasion. Depending on the occasion, you must follow the proper protocol to be on the good graces of the bride and groom and other important figures and if you want to continue to be invited to other functions they will host.

During the ceremony, cell phones or any electronics need to be on vibrate, silent or completely shut off. Unless that call is an emergency, do not answer it and leave the ceremony site if you need to talk on your cell phone.


Way to draw attention to yourself. Not only will you be getting the evil eye from the other guests, but the officiant and bridal party too. Worse, they will hear your not so private conversation.


Some couples choose not to include children on the guest list for various reasons: budget, capacity restrictions or because of the behavior. If the bride and groom wish to include children on the guest list, there are a few things parents must follow with small children and . During the ceremony, instruct the child to keep quiet and sit still. That can be a hard feat for children, but one way to keep them busy, quiet and happy is to bring coloring books or a pad of paper for them to doodle on . As for potty breaks, instruct the child to whisper to you when they need to go, so there are no loud interruptions during the ceremony. It's okay to let your child play at the reception, but keep a watchful eye so they won't cause trouble.


It's bad enough to hear a cellphone go off, but it's worse with children. Even a fellow parent would give the death glare if another parent can't keep little precious quiet.


Babies are a different story, but proper etiquette still must be followed. If the baby starts to cry, quietly excuse yourself from the ceremony and go to another room to soothe the baby.

Nothing is more piercing to the ears than a loud baby.

Having a drink or two is okay, provided that you are on your best behavior and not causing a scene. Some can tolerate alcohol more than others, but the bad behavior that comes with it is the intolerable part for anyone with an inebriated guest.

The hangover won't be the only thing she'll be regretting in the morning.

Lewd or crude remarks, verbal or physical fights, harassment, or loose inhibitions like blurting out that the groom once slept with some strippers while you're drunk are bound to haunt you. That haunting may result in you being snubbed from future events or ruining whatever relationship you have with your fellow guests and/or the bride and groom.


Moral of the story: Tactfulness get you anywhere.

Accessory Pass Granted

Accessories help accentuate the outfit, whether it's the veil down to the shoes. The best thing about accessories is that they can be purchased for a bargain and it can still look like a million bucks. That is if you know how to find the right place. Crafty brides have the option of making their own veils and headpieces from scratch or from a kit to save money.Brides also have the option purchase veils from discount vendors online or in-store. Shoes on the other hand don't always have to be purchased from the bridal shop, they can be purchased from a department store or boutiques for less. The headpiece is the most distinguishing of all accessories for the bride, a little personality and uniqueness is a great way to show off your style, but it must be done with subtlety and tact.



I wonder if that headpiece weighed as much as a bag of sugar and how long she was able to hold her head up.

Shoes aren't the most comfortable things the bride and her bridal party have to wear, but there are some brides that are willing to sacrifice comfort over style. However there are some that are not willing to do that and there's a way to have both style and comfort with your shoes without being tacky.

As a Floridian, I believe flip flops are only good for casual outings and for a bride and her bridesmaids to wear this is a major no-no.

Ballet flats, kitten heels or comfort insert soles in the shoes are one way to feel stylish and comfortable on the big day.

Hopefully the comfort will be the only reason she wore this monstrosity.

The garter belt hides underneath your wedding gown until the groom makes way and tosses it. But that doesn't mean that it's exempt from being garish.


The groom may have finished in first place and past the checkered flag in the race, but not this garter.

Moral of the Story: Find the right balance of comfort and style for you. It will save you from misery.

Mokey Suits

Typically the bride does most of the planning for the wedding, but there are some parts of the planning that is best left to the groom. That part I'm talking about is the tuxedo or suit. Some might buy their tuxedos, but most tend to rent it. Besides the style and fit being major factors in the groom selecting the tuxedos, he must also think about how he can integrate the colors of the wedding for him and the groomsmen that both he and his bride would be happy with. There are some that would go with bow ties, regular ties or even the ascots and possibly include the vest with it for a slightly less formal look. Personally I wouldn't mind if my fiance chose to opt out the tie and vest, but every bride and groom has their own tastes. However, there are some fine lines that must not be crossed when picking out attire for a wedding.

Camouflage is becoming a popular theme to lightly incorporate in wedding themes to honor the bride or groom serving in the armed forces.

Shh...be vewy vewy quiet. We'we hunting bwides.

Color is one of the main things to consider in selecting a suit, but another is style. The best thing is to keep it clean, classy and timeless.

The only good thing this groom has with this monstrosity he calls a tux is the boutonniere .


Formal attire in general can cost a pretty penny and some may go to a outlet store for a cheaper version of the suits if they chose to buy instead of rent. Looking around for special discounts never hurts if the price and suit are right.

Some people have more of a discerning taste and prefer designer duds. There a plenty of designer suits and there's nothing wrong with wearing one, as long as it's in good taste.

It's nice that the bride and groom share the same taste, but this is just overkill.

Moral of the story: If you can't trust the groom to pick out a good suit, go with him.

Not So Nice Day For A White Wedding...

I've been engaged for over a year and have been doing as much research as possible to plan and have a memorable wedding. The one day that I and every other woman has dreamed of since childhood and the one day I look forward to telling my children and grandchildren about years down the road and reminiscing about with my future husband. We all know that on a day like a wedding, we all must carry ourselves with dignity and a sense of propriety, no matter if you're merely a guest, a member of the bridal party or a staff member like the DJ or one of the servers for the reception.I unfortunately found these "gems" that were the complete opposite of dignity, propriety and possibly pride. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the traditional old-school type, but I still believe that some decorum should be followed on such a momentous occasion like this.



That should've been saved for the wedding night. If that woman in black is the mother of the bride, I don't blame her for trying to hide her face. I would be embarrassed to walk down the aisle in that. Might as well go to the wedding naked.


I'm a bit on the Rubenesque side and I have nothing against big girls, but good Lord! I can see one of her "girls" is making an escape and I'm seeing more rolls than the Pillsbury doughboy!


I'm not sure who designed this number, but this is another no-no. Good for a white party at South Beach or for amateur's night at club Cheetah, but not for a wedding.


I'll admit, the veil looks nice along with the train and shoes. The dress and gloves are a different story. It's cool and all to be creative and incorporate something you're passionate about, but to use that on the wedding gown is just plain tacky.

Moral of the Story: Choose your wedding attire wisely,because hindsight is 20/20. You may think it looks cute now, but when you look back at the pictures later you'll say "Ugh, what was I thinking?!!".