Most young girls dream about their wedding day, the colors, the flowers, the dress. Now-a-days it seems that the future grooms are having more to say about the wedding day than ever. The Involved Groom from Huffington Post writer Shannon Kellogg takes a look at how, as a bride, you can navigate through the trials and tribulations of planning your perfect day… and his.

Source: Huffington Post

There is a new breed afoot.

He has opinions, strong opinions, and he is not afraid to voice them. He is adamant about the catering, he knows the ideal ceremony location, and he is certain the two of you can accommodate his growing list of invitees. He is inflexible, he is determined. He is getting married, darn it, and his needs will be heard.

Contrary to the stereotype of the groom schlepping through his assigned wedding tasks (tux, groomsmen, music and honeymoon), this generation of grooms are increasingly involved in their wedding planning. And while brides may love having their eager groom to discuss the floral choices with, more conflict may also arise in this pre-marital flurry of decisions and indecision. A groom’s involvement may escalate from having strong opinions to a case of having too many chefs in the kitchen (as if in-laws and friends weren’t already contenders).

The involved groom has numerous preferences which may fly contrary to the bride’s ideal, and the key is to address these encounters with care. Here’s how to negotiate your groom’s enthusiastic involvement, while maintaining the sanity that you have worked so hard to maintain.

1. Emphasize your strengths and delegate!

Gone are the days of “his” and “hers” wedding tasks. Is your groom undoubtedly the foodie of the two? Have him head up the search for the caterer and sample the cakes. Is he the creative, artistic type? Let him explore invitation options and table centerpieces. Are you a musician and have strong opinions about what constitutes acceptable tunes? Book the band and set the playlist yourself. By harnessing each of your strengths onto duties where you naturally flourish, the planning process will become more fun and the outcome fantastically unique.

2. When gridlock occurs, ask questions first.

Power struggle. Read these two words and note that they are likely at play when you both have drawn your line firmly in the sand. Couples often get caught up in fighting for their victory, simply because it’s habit and it feels better to win than lose. Instead, try to see things from his perspective before defending your own. Ask what led him to feel so strongly about this? What outcomes does he hope to accomplish? How would it feel if he missed out on this? The answers might surprise you. Shifting the focus from winning to understanding the issues is an effective way to break the standoff. Often a compromise will emerge. And more importantly, the relationship will remain intact.

3. Maintain emotional congruence.

Conflict will arise when one or both of you has a rigid preconceived notion of how your nuptials “should” be, and it’s often influenced by outside factors. Rather than focusing on the “shoulds” or societal expectations that so often are attached to a wedding, make an effort for both you and your partner to pay attention to your inner voice. It is easy to become swept up in wanting to please relatives, vying for acceptance, or trying to fit the mold of what others may expect from you based on outside factors, like career, income bracket, family, lifestyle, and personality. Head this off by talking with your partner about your idea of what others expect. Are the expectations unrealistic? Are pressures from outside sources real, or are they inflated in your own mind? Discuss together what you think others expect, and what each of you feel are your “shoulds.” Next, shift the focus to looking within to find out what matters to you. If there were no consequences, no preconceived notions, what would you envision? Take time to reflect on your own thoughts and listen to your instincts as your guide.

4. Let your partner influence you.

Are you feeling like emotional road-kill after a talk with your bridesmaid? Is your head spinning about the nuances of dinner seating arrangements? Now is the time to cuddle up to your involved, opinionated groom and allow him to help with your concerns. Often, he’ll provide you with a perspective you hadn’t considered. By talking about your worries, you will get emotional support from your guy, while showing your deep respect for his perspective. And your highly involved groom? He’ll be glad that you value his opinion, and in return will be more likely to listen to your advice when he needs guidance.

An involved groom makes for an involved husband, and that is a predictor in marital satisfaction. So while it may have come as a shock to find your groom passionate about the wedding planning process, it’s helpful to see it for what it is. He cares about your wedding, he cares about you, and yes, it’s his big day, too.

For the full article click here.

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It may be getting too cold for a beach wedding, but Branches can still be part of your big day. Branches’ offers a venue that can be perfect for a winter wonderland wedding with wedding packages and catering options.  Consider these tips from The Knot during your planning and your wedding day will be everything you dreamed of!

Source: TheKnot.com

1. Wedding Colors

Reds and greens certainly reflect the season, but overdo this color combo, and your wedding may seem more holiday-oriented than you intended.

What’s Hot Now: Consider a less-is-more approach to your color palette: Silver and white with crystal accents can add some serious glamour to your winter wedding. For your ceremony, try a white velvet aisle runner trimmed with white satin ribbon, or decorate the altar with a crystal curtain backdrop adorned with hanging strands of elegant white phalaenopsis orchids. If you’re exchanging vows outdoors, get your guests in on creating the ambience by giving out clear umbrellas to friends and family members as they arrive.

2. The Flowers

Red roses, calla lilies, and amaryllis are decidedly winter wedding flowers, but if you step outside the flower box, and you’ll find a variety of options for winter blooms.

What’s Hot Now: Consider fuller flowers, such as white hydrangeas and soft ranunculuses. White boutonnieres can be handsome when they’re accented with greenery, but they also look great with a simple white ribbon. Add sparkle to your bouquet by wrapping the stems in ribbon embellished with crystals.

3. Invitations

Since winter weddings are usually held indoors (it’s an ideal time for ballroom receptions), they often call for a more formal invitations.

What’s Hot Now: A black-tie event is nicely conveyed by heavy cardstock and a navy blue, chocolate-brown, or even eggplant font with hand calligraphy. For a fresh way to achieve a formal tone for your winter wedding, use thick, frosted Plexiglas invitations in white scripted ink. Send the sturdy invites out to all your guests tucked into silver envelope liners.

4. Centerpieces

Go beyond glowing candles to add both warmth and romance to your reception site.

What’s Hot Now: If you want to heighten the drama, bring in the icy outdoors with ice-carved vases on your reception tables. Have your florist fill the vases with tall winter-white branches and hanging crystals to reflect the light from the tables. Surround the centerpieces with votive candles, and top your tables with white dupioni table linens and frosted glass china.

5. Escort Cards

Miniature sleighs and holly motifs stamped onto your escort cards would spell out the season pretty clearly, but they might not dazzle your guests.

What’s Hot Now: Leave everyone awestruck as they retrieve their escort cards by making the entire table sparkle. Have the cards hand-calligraphed in silver ink and attach them to individual crystals with a ribbon. Hang each from an oversized crystal candelabra centerpiece for a new take on the popular escort card tree.

6. The Music

A classical pianist playing during dinner is a sure way to create an elegant ambience, but consider a more unexpected accompaniment.

What’s Hot Now: For a twist on the tunes, consider hiring an a capella quartet to sing background music at your reception. Have the group sing your favorite jazz and pop songs to set a welcoming and festive tone for the evening. If you’re into a more classical sound, hire a cellist and ask that Vivaldi’s “Winter” be included in the repertoire.

7. Cocktail Hour

A winter cocktail hour calls for warm, comforting drinks. You really can’t go wrong with hot chocolate and warm apple cider, but it’s your wedding — why not take every opportunity (drinks included) to add an element of surprise?

What’s Hot Now: Serve up white hot chocolate in small espresso cups and eggnog in small punch glasses for your guests as they arrive. At the bar, offer saketinis (Japanese rice wine and sweet-flavored vodka) in glasses rimmed with sugar crystals.

8. The Cake

A wedding cake trimmed in red or green ribbon or topped with roses looks pretty, but bakers who are willing to push the fondant envelope can reflect the winter in totally creative ways.

What’s Hot Now: Play up the season with a white, vintage-style cake, dusted with edible silver powder. For accents, have your baker add a white sugar ribbon and crystal drops cascading down one side of the cake.

9. Favors

Food wedding favors are always a hit, but if cookies or truffles seem passe, try new treat ideas to send your guests home satisfied.

What’s Hot Now: Give out small packages of chocolate-covered cranberries or roasted chestnuts. An over-the-top idea that will undoubtedly impress: Have your caterer set up a hot chocolate and churros station to top off the evening.

10. Honeymoons

While many couples flee the blustery weather for warmer (and sandier) locales for their honeymoon, a winter wedding can segue perfectly into a snowy escape.

What’s Hot Now: Embrace the season and rent a cozy log cabin for a week in Lake Placid, or join the jet-setters at a luxurious hotel in Aspen for some serious skiing, wining, dining, and snuggling.

To read the full article from The Knot, click here.

The year is almost over and 2012 is just around the corner. If you’re planning a 2012 wedding ceremony you may want to take a peek at the Wedding Dress Trends for 2012! These trends might be what’s popular now (or popular again!) but you still have to find the dress that suits you best. Remember, your wedding day should be the most magical day for you and your future husband, make sure you’re walking down the aisle feeling comfortable and confident!

Source: Brides.com

The Trend: Illusion Necklines

We saw lots of unique necklines this season, but “most spotted” goes to the illusion style, in which a sheer, delicate, and often embellished layer of fabric veils skin that would otherwise be exposed. (Think of illusion as “strapless, with coverage,” noting its power to transform a sassy, “look at my boobs” situation into something soft, elegant, and romantic.)

Gown by: Carolina Herrera

Click here for more wedding dresses with illusion necklines.

The Trend: Two-Tiered Skirts

Last season in skirts, three-dimensional florals hit critical mass. This season, designers focused on hemlines, creating skirts with two distinct tiers. Call it an exaggerated form of the peplum detail from previous seasons, and this time, it’s superflattering—the top tier is a genius way to camouflage wider hips.

Gown by Christos

The Trend: Horsehair Trim

Don’t worry, animal rights activists, horsehair does not come from our equine friends; it’s a synthetic fabric often used on the underskirts of gowns to create a cleaner shape and a crisper hemline. Continuing with the trend of turning dresses inside-out (see last season’s corsets), designers are now exposing this underlay fabrication, either as a visible hemline treatment or a lavishly looped sash or bodice detail. It works to create incredible volume and dimension on ballgowns and also provides a unique, frothy-yet-modern textural element.

Gown by Vera Wang

The Trend: Blush

Wearing a wedding gown in a non-white or ivory hue was, until recently, considered a pretty radical move. Then, a few seasons ago, we began seeing subtle pops of color—from the faintest hint of silver or lilac to bright lettuce green—but color was still the exception rather than the rule. This season, however, blush and pink shades appeared on dozens of runways, marking its official debut as an expected—not quirky—wedding gown hue. Perhaps this has something to do with Reese Witherspoon’s blush Monique Lhuillier wedding gown. If Reese, a paean to traditional, conservative dressing, chooses pink, it’s clearly time to give it a try.

Gown by Wtoo Brides

Click here for more blush wedding dresses.

The Trend: Lace Sleeves

Since April bridal market fell just a few weeks before the Royal Wedding, several designers were inspired by Kate Middleton and what she might wear. For a great majority, this meant lace sleeves—a sleeker, more contemporary version of the voluminous sleeves that engulfed the young Princess Diana so many years ago. Turns out the recently dubbed Duchess of Cambridge did end up wearing lace sleeves to her wedding, and it’s only a matter of time before this regal look catches on in a big way. We can’t wait.

Gown by Legends by Romona Keveza

To see more pictures of these trends straight from the runway click here.

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