It's wedding season. This means a flurry of love, matrimony and eternal bliss, right? Kinda. It also means that as a wedding guest, you're forking over an alarming slice of your salary, burning through your vacation days and spending more time in the airport than in your bedroom. Here are 10 quick rules for survival.
By Jeff Wilser for TheKnot.com
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Just because you don't have a date on your arm doesn't mean you can't have an amazing time.
By Justine Lorelle Blanchard for TheKnot.com
Procopio Photography / The KnotAttending a wedding alone can be rough -- between partner-less slow dances and Aunt Gertie's questions about why you aren't married yet, it can be hard not to feel like a total loner. But the trick to enjoying a wedding while flying solo is as simple as adjusting your mindset -- and following these tips.
Change Your Mindset
"Human beings are, by their very nature, contrary; if you are trapped and told to have a good time, it's highly likely you will not," says Imogen Lloyd Webber, author of The Single Girl's Guide (Summersdale Publishers Ltd.). Basically, if you feel like someone is trying to force you to have fun, you won't. How to deal? Instead of likening a wedding to a Saturday night prison sentence, think of it as a chance for you to enjoy dinner, drinks, and dancing -- all on someone else's dime.
More from The Knot: The worst wedding
Wedding guests can be pretty demanding. These particular requests from wedding guests were so strange that they left the bride and groom scratching their heads.
By Miles Stiverson for TheKnot.com
Taylor Lord Photography / The Knot"The most ridiculous request was for a Blue Angels flyover for our wedding. Who do they think we are, the President?"
"When I asked one friend to be a bridesmaid she demanded three things: Change the date, change the location and give her 31 days to pray about whether she would be a bridesmaid or go to a concert."
"My groom's Uncle Ralph requested that sections of 'Self-Reliance' be read as part of the ceremony. I believe he felt a special kinship to Emerson, based solely on their shared first names. How inappropriate is it to read an essay on independence at the celebration of the joining of two persons?"
"One guest wanted a bowl of kibble and water for their puppy"
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"One guest said, 'Our 5-year-old daughter is a vegan. Can you have the chef
Don't forget to check these things off your list! Fashion great Mr. Oscar de la Renta shares his must-haves for every bride-to-be. We agree!
By Heather Hall for TheKnot.com
Photos from top left: Kurt Wilberding; Brian Doben; Elizabeth Messina, Antonis Achilleos; Dan Lecca, Thinkstock
From top left: Oscar de la Renta gown, $11,590, Joan Pillow Bridal Salon; gown, $5,400, ChristosBridal.com; veil, $450, JustineMCouture.com
1. A clear vision: Decide what kind of wedding you want to have - will it be in the country, the city, at the beach? Once you figure that out, you can start dress shopping and planning.
2. A dress you're totally in love with: Remember that your opinion is the only one that matters when it comes to what you are going to wear.
More from TheKnot: 9 most daring new wedding dresses
3. A train: It adds wonder and a sense of drama.
4. Some texture: I have a great appreciation for texture - lace or embroidery - in a wedding gown. It always looks fantastic in photographs.
5. A veil: I love this very traditional bridal accessory. It also gives your father something to do.
6.
Brides share the worst tips they've been given while planning their wedding.
By Anne Roderique-Jones for TheKnot.com
Jen Huang Photography / The Knot1. Bad advice: "My grandmother told me that I must wear a white dress or else people will start thinking that I'm not a virgin. I'm a 30-year-old bride who has been living with my fiance for six years." -- ReturnOfKuus
What you should do: This "rule" is completely antiquated. In fact, there are probably quite a few engaged virgins out there who will choose to wear ivory (gasp!) on their wedding day. Wear whichever color you love that looks best with your skin tone. In fact, white works best on darker skin tones, and ivory shades flatter lighter skin.
2. Bad advice: "It's YOUR wedding, and this day is all about YOU!" -- Butter Cookie
What you should do: It is your wedding day, but don't forget the little people. Treat your wedding party (and guests) with respect. For instance, let your bridesmaids help choose their dresses, and don't have a cash bar.
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Shutterstock / The Knot
By Jamie Miles for TheKnot.com
Attention summer brides: If you haven't heard already… it's the season of the cicadas! And they aren't just coming… they're already here! For those of you unfamiliar, cicadas are big creepy insects that sing especially loudly, they shed their skin (eww), and while they aren't intentionally harmful to humans, they may or may not mistake a person's arm for a tree or plant and attempt to feed.
Obviously, these insects could have an impact on your summer wedding plans since cicadas aren't respectful enough to RSVP to a wedding- they just show up uninvited. Our recommendation? Take a look at this map which will tell you where the cicadas have hit so far so you can prepare if cicadas will affect your wedding day.
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The good news? Cicada expert Dan Mozgai of CicadaMania.com gave us tips on how you can prevent these pests from ruining your wedding day. Take note:
1. Have your wedding indoors
This
If you're an avid Pinner, or you follow us on Pinterest, you may have seen these on our fab Nails board. But just in case you haven't or want to see our top picks, check these pretty fingers out! Ideal for personalizing your wedding day look, here are some ideas for you.
By Heather Hall for TheKnot.com
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Real brides share their wedding night stories (and they're not what you think).
By Anne Roderique-Jones for TheKnot.com
Shutterstock / The KnotJust Me and My TV
We had an evening garden wedding that happened to fall on the day of a 75-year record high...a whopping 106 degrees. We were exhausted and soaked when we finally got back to the honeymoon suite. I went to the bathroom to peel myself out of the drenched wedding dress, take a shower, and change. I finally walk out -- perfect hair, stellar makeup, and some sexy lingerie -- only to find my husband sprawled out on the bed, passed out, and snoring. Bravo TV and I spent one salacious evening together. --Sposati
Flooded With Emotion
The hotel we stayed in had a huge, two-person shower, and we jumped in it immediately after the reception. We started to fool around until my husband began to look extremely freaked out. Apparently, my fake eyelashes were falling off, and he had no clue that I had been wearing them. One strip was on my cheek, and the other was hanging
Real brides dish on their most mortifying moments.
By The Editors of TheKnot.com
Thinkstock / The Knot1. Spanx Snafu
"I accidentally left my shaping underwear in the dryer at my fiance's parents' house. On the day of the wedding, I had to call them up so they could bring it with them to the venue for me. His dad answered the phone, and I told him the predicament I was in, having to describe what they looked like and where I'd left them to make sure the correct pair was brought. Lo and behold, my shaping underwear was at the venue when I arrived!" -- erollis
Scandalous Scale: 4 out of 5
2. Prewedding Peep Show
"Due to the nature of my gown, I could not wear a bra underneath it, so I was standing topless in the bridal suite with just my mom, my sister and my best friend in the room, all of whom were polite enough to avoid eye contact with my chest while we attempted different ways to maneuver my dress onto me without ruining my hair and makeup. Out of nowhere, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law came in and
In all of the frenzy, don't lose sight of one nontrivial constituency: your guests.
By Jeff Wilser for TheKnot.com
Vitalic Photo / The Knot1. Fact: They'll like the wedding that you like
The best weddings are the ones where the bride and groom did it their way. Formal and ritzy? Great. Casual and festive? Also great. Do what you want. Your guests won't judge. Okay, some will. But remember what you learned in kindergarten: If they judge you by your cake display, they're not your real friends anyway.
2. Fact: They want you to register
You will have many difficult decisions in life. (How many kids? Rent or buy? Public or private school? Ground or whole-bean coffee?) Opting for a gift registry is not one of the hard decisions. Trust us. Your guests want it. By registering, you get exactly what you wish -- no duplicate gravy boats -- and spare your guests confusion. Easy call. Plus, it's easier than ever before: You can now use your iPhone as a scan gun, sip champagne if you're registering in store (you can do
