Wedding Tactics

I recently met a new mother through a good friend of mine and we exchanged contact information. Upon closer inspection I saw that she had given me her maiden name, not her married name. I am told she plans to change her name any day now. Thing is? She’s been married for over two years now.

When I got married I changed my last name the first full day I was home from the honeymoon.

So did two friends of mine. We all married under the age of thirty, some of us closer to it than others. And neither of us had made a seriously substantial name for ourselves in our respective careers.

Of course, there are some other things that change after you get married. To read more about what you might want to consider, dread or even look forward to, click here.

So what’s the deal these days on changing your name? Keeping your last name? Or, the ultimate, taking on a new name without letting go of the old one.

Regardless of the reasons for changing your name, it is best to start with the Social Security Administration.

For some, its a matter of letting go of the past and all that is attached to a name. It can also be a chance to become someone else, a new you perhaps, or it can just signify that your new roles, wife, spouse, perhaps even mother?

Some people want a name that is easier to spell, easier to pronounce, or one less or even more conspicuous, hinting towards an ethnic background or religious affiliation. And for some it is just a question of tradition, establishing yourself in your newly created family.

I’m curious, did you change your name after you got married? If so, how soon did you make the change?

What do you think of this centerpiece featuring an Emu egg, orchids, berries and desert pods in browns and ivories set into a block of carved ice?

Designed by Susan Holland & Co., New York, NY.

Leave a comment if you think this is trendy and very cool or a little too earthy for your tastes.

centerpiece, Susan Holland, Emu egg, wedding

Fall weddings have become increasingly popular lately. 13% of couples are now married in the month of October alone. Depending on your locale, September is a very common month too.

During this season people start thinking more about family and home and being together. This makes for a cozy and romantic wedding.

A common worry about fall weddings is unpredictable weather. Read here for ideas of how to have backup plans that don’t take over the actual plan.

Some potential venues for a fall wedding include country inns, old churches or meeting houses, old barns and restored mills. These weddings have a rustic but casually elegant feel. If you want to incorporate nature and the outdoors, look for orchards and vineyards.
If you just like the feel of the season but want to stay inside, consider a gentleman’s club or university club that has dark wood floors and fireplaces.

Traditional fall color schemes are red, orange, yellow and brown. If you want to keep it more simple and less like a kids coloring book of the seasons, choose one color above, like a dark chocolate color and highlight it with punches of bright yellow or burnt orange, or even a very spring color such as pink. Brown with blue and pink is tremendously popular in the wedding world these days.

If you are keeping with the season for inspiration, consider serving roast turkey, quail and squash soup a baked apple dessert and pumpkin spiced cider.

If you really don’t like the fall colors but enjoy the season, choose a timeless scheme like black and white.
If you are attending a fall wedding and want to be seasonal, consider a dress like one of these for a formal wedding.

If you are planning a fall wedding and want to incorporate some of the harvest season colors, you will find yourself looking to nature for some natural hues.

Leaves and acorns are popular seasonal icons and many invitations are available with these decals and icons. Look at a leaf that has just fallen from a tree, you’ll see copper, ivory, yellows, golden browns and even some burgundy reds.

Bridesmaid gowns are available in more colors than ever before. One of my favorites, and I never thought I would like this color, but I do, is espresso, or, brown. Consider this gown from Alred Angelo, the color is seasonal and rich and the golden sash adds just a touch of femininty. Alfred Angelo is a great designer. Their dresses are suitable for many body types and they are affordable.

Deep red, which is one of my favorite leaf colors adds a touch of romanticism. Consider adding deep red roses to a bouquet or centerpiece or tie red ribbons on the the backs of the chairs. Depending on your wedding date and locale and, well, how much you like Halloween and the harvest season, pumpkins and mums make great decorations and are rather inexpensive to buy. Stepping up a little big, the picture below illustrates chairs draped in golden covers paired with tables in deep red cloths.

This cake is from Diana’s Cakes and More

You can make an elegant centerpiece by mixing fresh fruit with flowers. Consider a bowl of green and red applies surrounded by small bud vases with one rose or one hydrangea blossom. Pomogranates, peppers and dried corn also make excellent accent pieces.

Blue works with all seasons, but it has a special use in fall. When the sky is a clear, crisp dark blue and the air doesn’t get any fresher; what a magical feeling to replicate in your wedding. Deep shades of blue, navy, cobaly and sapphire are great for this coming season. Accent with lavendar and periwinkle shades and touches of sparkly silver.

One final touch, surround your tables and wedding location with candle light. It provides a warm glow.

As promised, I’m answering all the questions that came in as comments during the last contest. Please keep submitting ideas and questions; I will get to them all, soon. Promise!

Dear Stacy,
What are some good ideas for using items OTHER than flowers for centerpieces? It can be stressful when so many relatives have allergies, and you don’t want toasts interrupted by constant sneezing!

Some readers have been asking me lately about options for centerpieces when flowers are not a feasible option. For a variety of reasons like allergies, cost and environmental awareness, couples are opting for alternative centerpieces.

I think this is a great idea! I love weddings that implore some creativity and individuality.

If you like the look of flowers but do not want to use fresh flowers, consider silk flowers. You can make your own arrangements using silk flowers from a local craft store, or you can go higher end and have a florist make arrangements with silk flowers.

For the times when you don’t want flowers, look to your wedding location, the theme, or just something that matters to you. For example, if you are having a wedding at a ski lodge in the middle of the winter, consider covering the table with fake snow or confetti and lots of tea light candles. You don’t need one mega-sized centerpiece to make a table look attractive. On the other hand, a waterfront wedding could have a decoration of seashells, and conch shells draped in a fish net; it’s a rustic look. If the wedding couple are foodies, perhaps a centerpiece of a cookbook and kitchen gadgets like measuring cups and spoons and spatulas which can also double as favors by allowing your guests to take one item at the end of the night.

We tend to think flowers are the only classy way to have a mother-in-law-worthy centerpiece but if you just use some creativity, nothing is stupid, overdone, or mundane.

One final non-floral centerpiece idea is, and this is especially cool if this is a second marriage with blended families, place framed pictures of the family members from over the years on the tables. This will give guests something to talk about and it makes the wedding more special and more about your families.

But if your wedding doesn’t carry a specific location theme and you just want alternatives to flowers consider candles. A centerpiece of varying height candles is very attractive, romantic and it creates a warm, glowing atmosphere.

It wasn’t easy finding pictures to illustrate MY ideas, so I found a few that sort of include some of my ideas. Below you will see some images and describe what I like about them and how they are awesomely non-floral.

This is a large pillar candle inside of a glass hurricane. It is tied with a brown ribbon. This is a great use of color and inexpensive supplies. A large candle centerpiece surrounded by small votives and tea candles is a gorgeous accent to any room.

I really don’t know what I think of this centerpiece. It is unique. This is taken from a wedding where there was a bird theme. This is perfect for the couple who wants a naturalistic wedding theme. This can be made from inexpensive supplies found a craft store too. This was also taken from a fall wedding. It is seasonal, theme-based, natural and earthy.

Now, finally, one of my all time favorite decorative pieces. Bamboo. Bamboo is considered “green” and environmentally conscientious because it grows up to two feet in one day and is considered full grown in three to seven years. Quite faster than a tree. Bamboo provides clean, simple lines for a modern look.

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