Mommie Dearest

A fellow member of a forum I frequent once said that a wedding is a dictatorship, not a democracy. Truer words could not be spoken. Despite the burgeoning rise of couples footing the bill for their wedding, there are still a few mothers and/or fathers of the bride or groom that do for most of all of the bills. It is nice to help, but the helping can morph into controlling over time. Most talk about the bridezilla, but there is one creature that is just as bad,if not worse than bridezilla. That creature is the momzilla. The momzilla could be the mother of the bride or groom and will have no qualms on letting you know her opinions and demands. Forget that it's your wedding, in her mind it's HER wedding. Money isn't the only reason she uses to justify her controlling and overbearing ways, it could be because she had no say in hers and wants to live vicariously through you. She drives everyone around her and can drive a wedge between the bride and groom with her ways.

Momzilla vs. The Bride

Momzillas obsess over the wedding over anything else but there are some that strong arm their way in the wedding plans.

The Dictator.

The wedding plans are not the only thing momzillas voice their opinions over, it's also the bride or groom's choice of partners. Some momzillas are more subtle than others when it comes down to showing her displeasure with her future son or daughter-in-law.

Save that for a funeral.

Way to upstage the bride. How rude!

The two worst faux pas the mother of the bride or groom could ever make are wearing solid black or white to the wedding.

Before anybody gets steamrolled and their feelings hurt, the best thing to do is talk things over and let Mom know that you are open to her opionions and/or advice and let her have some involvement in your plans and do let her know if and when she is overstepping her boundaries.


Moral of the Story: Helping does not equal dictating.

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.

With This Ring I Thee Wed.....

For centuries, wedding rings are the symbol of fidelity,undying love and a union between two people . Years ago they were once simple and understated but made a bold statement. Now, wedding rings make a bold statement in so many ways with couples having more options to choose from in having a unique wedding ring. Couples now have the option of choosing many different etchings, stones, metals other than gold or two tone metal rings, natural or antique finish. Couples can also opt for eco-friendly rings that are made of conflict free metals and/or stones, recycled metals or wood. This is one of the few parts of wedding planning where both the bride and groom are involved. Being unique is fine, but being the one that sticks out like a sore thumb is not.




Coming to a hardware store near you: wedding rings. At least with these you can link them together so you won't lose them.


Sometimes function overrides fashion, depending on the bride and groom's lifestyle which can be another factor in choosing the right wedding ring.

Too bad these rings can't be used to really hook up an ethernet connection or for phone jack.



Some couples opt for plain metal wedding bands with etchings, filigree edges or a simple band with or without a couple of small stones.

I may love Hello Kitty, but this is where I draw the line.

Moral of the Story: When you pick out your rings, think of how it would look now and years later before buying them.

The Snow Beast Cometh

Some brides like to really feel like a princess for a day and one of the many ways they do that is by either donning a tiara, a long veil, figure hugging gown with a long train or a big gown with all the frills. What you choose to wear for the wedding could draw attention to you in a good or bad way, but besides that could make you miserable .


Big poofy gowns may still be popular, but there are some more form fitting gowns that can display the same amount of extravagance.


I wonder how she was able to put on her gown without having to hold her breath or even be able to move during the wedding. The Groom or her father must've gone through more layers of her veil than Salome did in her dance to take it off.

Poofy dresses aren't the only extravagant bridal garb, puffy veils were all the rage in the mid-late 1980s to the early 1990's.



This is the true meaning of excess and the bride's veil and headpiece look like it's devouring her her head.


Real life brides aren't the only ones who have sinned a great deal in the eyes of the fashion gods.




If any bride in real life wore the same or similarly designed gowns as these dolls, they would need an entourage to get in and out of these gowns.


Moral of the story: Sometimes choosing function is better than fashion.

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.

The Big Fat Wedding Venue

One of the most expensive portions of wedding planning is the venue for the ceremony and reception. Some couples opt for a fancy hotel, banquet hall,country club or even a fancy restaurant as the site for both the ceremony and reception. These days with gas prices going through the roof, it can help not only you save more money with not having the limo chauffeur take you from one place to another, but the guests and/or bridal party as well. Some couples are more traditional with choosing a church/temple or any other place of worship for the ceremony and another place for the reception. One way to cut back on costs for the venues is to have the wedding at home. Besides the fact that you have a smaller guest list to deal with and that it's in a place that you cherish is great. However, when planning the wedding venue at a home, there's factors to take into consideration: if you and/or the host relatives are willing to clean before and after the wedding. Besides that, you must also think of selecting a place that is accommodating for you and your guests and the maximum or minimum amount of guests you can have.
There are some venues that do offer other services to help you on your big day such as on site catering, decor and more.



Again, I will emphasize that a venue with on site catering services is great, but this is just plain laughable. Imagine the invitations: A reception will follow with slider burgers, fries and Danishes for dessert. Real classy, huh.


Moral of the Story: Find a venue that is accommodating to you and your guests needs and that is appropriate for the occasion.

Always A Bridesmaid Never The Bride

One of the most difficult portions of planning in the wedding attire arena is the bridesmaids dress. Not only must the bride find something within her budget, but also something that her bridesmaids can walk down the aisle in with pride. Unfortunately the pride factor in bridesmaids dresses is a rarity. It is a faux pas for anybody to upstage the bride, especially those who are in the bridal party, hence the atrocious dresses most bridesmaids must endure for the duration of the wedding. Besides the fabric and style itself, the color is another major factor that can make or break a bridesmaid dress.



Nausea, heartburn,indigestion, upset stomach diarrhea, yay Pepto Bismol is what this dress and the bridesmaid are screaming.



These bridesmaids got the golden ticket to one incredibly ugly dress that not even King Midas would touch.

All I can say is that this poor lady looks like a walking Hershey kiss.

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Not only can you taste this rainbow, but you can squeeze it like an accordion.

Moral of the story: Choose wisely with your bridesmaids dresses, because one day the very same torture you subjected your bridesmaids to wear may happen to you.

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?!!".