Every so often my mother and I go through her memory albums and books. Whenever I take out her wedding album, she gets very upset. My parents were happily married for 64 ½ years until my father passed in 2015. According to her, the wedding album didn’t capture their first moments as husband and wife very well and she adamantly refuses to allow me to share her wedding album. She does like one photo and allowed me to share it with you. It’s sad for me because when I look at her wedding album, I see her beauty. Of course she’s my mother and I am immediately biased, however I truly honor her emotions and disappointment.
I don’t want this to happen to you and that is why I am writing to share a few things that will help you be sure you won’t. First of all, it’s important to share a bit of my childhood experiences so you can appreciate these tips. When I was growing up the place my mom took me to the most was the 163rdstreet mall in North Miami Beach. Not only were there several big stores for her to fill her desire to shop, there was an outdoor playground with a train ride for her to take my brothers and I on before the travel home. All of my life my mother has taught me the art of thrift and the value of coordination so I guess I have her to thank for this advice. Thanks Mom!
Before I give you the 5 tips, what does dress big mean to you? For myself, dressing big is an art form that reveals a natural essence and intrinsic beauty of the bride. With the wedding “paparazzi” ready to snap away and share their excitement, dressing big will enable even the amateur to capture and accentuate the you inside your dress and under your makeup and hairdo. Ok, now that I’ve gotten that out there, here are the 5 ways a bride can dress her best on her big day!
- Choose colors that will aesthetically enhance your wedding theme. If you are going for a seasonal theme, then make sure those colors blend with you and your beloveds skin tones. If you don’t know your skin tones, google has lots of charts to help you.
- Make sure your venue has color or existing décor that compliments your ideal colors. If you’re already in contract with a venue and didn’t consider the colors, you may have to modify your vision and use their colors to determine your wedding theme. There are plenty of ways to not let this be an obstacle though.
- Beauty is not just skin deep, it is soul deep and you deserve to indulge your soul at every turn before your wedding. Plan early so your wedding flows with greater ease. Even if you love to organize and/or have budget constraints, find a friend who is knowledgeable about wedding planning and has the time to help out. Or better yet, HIRE a wedding planner. (more blogging on this later)
- Make sure your wedding officiant is able to follow your vision or share with you their talents and skills so your ceremony is well remembered with exuberance and joy. This stands true for all your other vendors too. I suggest you make a list of your desires and if you’re unclear, ask each vendor what makes them stand out and choose according to what your heart feels.
- Speaking of standing out and what your heart feels, get your wedding officiant and guests to dress in a complimentary style as you. Think about your future pictures and what you want to see. When I work with couples I always give them a questionnaire to fill out so that our consultations are efficient. I’m looking to see your colors, your theme and your level of religiosity (if any). Most of the time people don’t even think about coordinating with their officiant, but I can assure you, I do. Thanks mom!
Whether I am flown out of the South Florida area for a wedding or stand with a couple in the areas of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale or Palm Beach, South Florida, for a wedding; I want to help my brides dress their best!
Here are a few samples of my versatility as rabbi, as an officiant and as one who stands in joy between the bride and the groom on their big day!
“Dreaming of cream” with Gina and Jamie on Exuma Island beach. Gina is wearing an off white lace dress and I chose a simple sleeveless dress complimented by my self made cream silk tallit (rabbi honors). With the free energy of the Bahamas and the vibe of Gina and Jamie, I also chose to be barefoot.
Photo credit: JCM Photography
An artisan bride and all around colorful couple, Brandon & Lindsay. Their wedding was outdoors at Benvenuto Restaurant. Lindsay and Brandon have a special flair and it stood out the moment we met in person. When I arrived at the wedding, I noticed the creativity of their colors on many of their guests. I chose to wear my handmade Tibetan prayer shawl over a sleek and unique white dress. This shawl has been with me since my days in California but never had I worn it for a wedding. I had also never seen so many guests with hair dyed in lilac to match the wedding colors either.
Photo credit: Sonacity Photography
I hope this helps even one person. Let me know, if so!
Warmest regards,
Rabbi Melinda
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