The Royal Wedding

What a lovely day! I was among the billions of people up before dawn to watch two people joined in marriage in what has been termed "the wedding of the century".  I've been glued to the television all day, watching every angle and opinion of the "royal couple".  I admit, it was a beautiful ceremony and the bride was radiant, but I have to say that I am very grateful that we Americans don't embrace hat wearing like the Brits do.  Some were similar to what I've seen in some Dr. Seuss literature.......

The commentary that I listened to was quite entertaining!  Everyone has an opinion, and depending on the network being watched, some were more opinionated than others.  One comment referred to the maid of honor wearing white and "upstaging" the bride.  I will weigh in on that one!  The photo below is a gown and bridesmaids dresses I designed from 1997.  It was one of the most beautiful weddings I've seen, and the dresses were timeless.  To me, it was very elegant, tasteful, and the only one that stood out was the bride (who was gorgeous)!  Times have changes, etiquette rules have changed, and weddings have become a personal style statement involving both the bride and groom.  I say if the bride chooses white or off-white for her bridal party, it is exactly that:  her choice.  I love monochromatic color schemes - they photograph beautifully and what you see are the features that are truely unique to us; hair color, eyes, expressions.  Close your eyes and imagine your photographs with the color scheme you are dreaming of.  Do you want to see those colors 20, 30 or 50 years from now?  (I'll refer to an earlier blog that mentioned my wedding color scheme - jade green....hmmmmm.....)

Have fun planning!  I'll be happy to give you my opinion, but remember it's your wedding day.  When I say "your", I mean you and your future spouse.  Let him be in on the planning, too.

Destination Weddings

This was last summer in Costa Rica......what a lovely bride and wedding party!  This was such a fun gown to create because it was non-traditional, yet so classy and elegant.  I would loved to have attended this one!  Molly looked beautiful and the backdrop was simply gorgeous!

The Wedding Ceremony

As weddings are planned, most of the attention is placed on the visual aspects of the day.  The dress, the flowers, food, decorations.......it's so easy to get caught up in the things that are not as important as the "why" of the day. 

Nearly twenty years ago, I married my best friend.  We had a simple, yet elegant wedding and I did most everything there was to do.  Made the dresses, shopped for the food, chopped celery and carrots.....I remember getting bogged down in the long list of things to be done and feeling overwhelmed.  My good friend (and wife of the pastor who married us) gave me some sage advice that I have repeatedly passed along to any bride who will listen to me.  Sheila said to me, ( in her most beautiful southern accent) "Becky, on Saturday morning, you and Richard and David are gonna be at that church, and you are gonna be married, and nothing else matters."
How right she was.  It didn't matter what color my nails were, or if the bows on the pews were the right shade of jade green (yes, it was the color of the season).  The fact was that on Saturday, June 1, 1991, Richard and I made vows to each other and to God in the presence of our friends and family.  The little things that I worried about getting done then are not even a memory to me now. 

So if you are a bride-to-be reading this, or even a seasoned marriage veteran, remember not to get bogged down with the unimportant.  Focus on the love of your spouse, the blessings God has bestowed upon you, and the life you share together.  Somehow everything else seems a lot less important.

Two are better than one!

My dream job has finally come true!  Designing wedding gowns has been my dream for almost a lifetime.  After designing and making over 15 gowns, I am officially doing it as a career.  How rewarding it is to see the radiance of a bride on her wedding day!


Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

I think that all marriages should use this verse as a guideline for success.  Without God as the third strand in the marriage cord, all would seem hopeless by human standards.  Without the solid foundation of Christ in marriage, you have just a wedding with some beautiful photographs.  My job starts after the committment of two hearts inviting Christ to share in their future together.   Now we can have some fun!  I hope you will join me on the journey of little girls' dreams  of their wedding day turning into reality.