Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bride

How do I make a costume out of a wedding dress?

libertypie — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:41:55 -0800

How can I turn a wedding dress into a Halloween costume without destroying the thing? Okay, so it's not quite a wedding dress (it's a debutante dress, actually), but it's pretty, and conceivably could be used by someone for actual marriage so I don't necessarily want to smother it in fake blood. It has a pretty typical circle hem and straps.

That said, if someone has an amazing costume idea I'll drag the thing behind a freaking truck. I just feel like the "zombie bride" thing is a little bit done and am curious what else the hivemind has lurking in its recesses. The crazier the better.

Why The Hell Does It Have To Be In August??

Atom12 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:58:09 -0800

Summer wedding logistics. Been there? Done that? A friend is having an outdoor wedding for 250+ in August. We're going to help and have been gently coaching her on logistical things she'll need to consider -- porta potties, parking, trash, etc. We have two questions:

* She would like a cake. Fondant's not an option and the best we can come up with is 7 minute frosting.

* Have you had or helped with an outdoor wedding? Your advice/tale of woe/success story would be appreciated.

Do I have to go in debt over my friend's wedding?

gwenlister — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:44:45 -0800

Bridesmaid stress: My friend's wedding is costing ME a huge amount of money (it'll be over a 1000$ all said and done) and I do not have that kind of money to spend on anything. How do I explain this to her? One of my best friends is getting married new years eve this year and I am a bridesmaid. Already I have spent 300$ on the dress and shoes, and that alone is a hell of a lot of money for me. But there is more to come. I still am expected to pay for:
- hair and makeup the day of
- transport to the wedding (no car, so it'll be a 100$ bus ticket)
- paying for a hotel for myself the night of the wedding
- a wedding gift
- supplies for decorating her bridal suite (my assigned bridesmaid task)

Plus I got a message from her this morning that she wants me to supply nicer sheets for her bridal suite because the ones the hotel provide aren't "pretty enough". if the bed is a king size, which it probably is, I would have to purchase a set because no one I know has king size sheets I could borrow.

Basically, her wedding is stressing me out more than it is probably stressing her out. I want to make her wedding day as lovely and wonderful as possible, but does it have to mean costing me a thousand dollars when I am already in debt on my own? I have credit card debt and a student loan, and my salary gives me JUST enough money to pay to live and pay bills and leaves me with very little disposable income. How do I explain, without seeming super cheap and selfish because I am ruining her special day (which is kinda how she might see it), that I can't afford to do all these things? I do want to be involved in her wedding, and it isn't that I want to back out of all bridesmaid responsabilities, because if I did the cost would fall on the other two and both of them are no better off then I am. I know another of the bridesmaids is currently unemployed because she is taking care of her mother as she undergoes cancer treatment, AND she just became pregnant, so guaranteed money is tight with her too....

Am I being selfish? Should I just suck it up since she is my friend?

I'm also worried that if I DO say something she'll get really upset, freak out, and then start telling everyone to never mind, that she doesn't need her bridal suite decorated, that she doesn't need a bridal shower, that she doesn't need a stagette party, and would people please not bring gifts, etc etc etc. and basically cancel everything and go way overboard, when that wasn't the point.

HELP!

Gift for the newly-engaged girl

pised — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:16:53 -0800

One of my dearest friends just got engaged (yay!) and I want to get her a little gift to mark the occasion. What can I get for the newly-engaged girl who hasn't started planning anything yet? My friend JUST got engaged last week and is in the process of telling friends and family the news. She and her fiance aren't in the planning stages yet; they just want to enjoy being engaged for a bit. I'd like to get her something practical, like a book, but I'm open to frivolous and fun gifts as well. I think it's too early for any bridal shower-type gifts or lingerie, though. I'm also open for getting something for him and her to share, but nothing too big because they don't have a lot of room to spare.

So, recent brides or brides-to-be, is there anything you wish you had had at the beginning of your engagement? I'm looking for a gift in the $20-30 range. (We're in Canada, if that matters.)

Pinup Girl Bachelorette Party?

ultraultraboomerang — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:21:03 -0800

I'm planning a lingerie shower/bachelorette party with a pinup girl theme (e.g., Gil Elvgren, Art Frahm, etc.) Any ideas about how to work the theme into the evening? This is my first Maid of Honor gig, and I'm doing it from a few hundred miles away. How should I integrate the "pinup" theme into games, party favors, goodie bags for guests, etc.? Is it too much to ask the (~10-12) guests to wear something pinup-y? What kinds of favors/prizes can I make or have made that will fit in my luggage? Generic recommendations on bachelorette parties will be appreciated as well, since I've managed to reach my early 30s whilst remaining relatively clueless about bachelorette parties and weddings in general.

Civil ceremony. Informal. At home. What does the bride wear?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:01:18 -0800

_Wedding filter_ Civil ceremony. Informal. At home. What does the bride wear? I am the bride. We're both in our 30s.
The civil-only ceremony will be held at home. Going for a casual, family-gathering feel to it. No fancy decorations, no arranged seating - but not a hippie, indie house with posters on the walls, either.

What do I wear?

I'd like one or more of the following:
- Modern, urban
- Stylish, couture
- Slightly retro is ok
- Empire, high waist
- Knee length, but long may be all right
- Not necessarily white, but light

I don't like:
- Strapless, sleeveless
- Big round puffy things
- Too many sparkles
- Tight fit
- The omnipresent A-line dress

Not sure about:
- Wearing a head piece or veil. Most likely just a nice hair jewelry thingy.

Help!

Father-in-law to give away the bride?

zardoz — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:09:47 -0800

Giving away the bride: if the bride's father is deceased, and she has no male relatives at the wedding who can do the job, what can she do? Walk down the aisle alone? Is it weird for the groom's father to give her away?

DIY Bridal Shower Projects

Heminator — Wed, 16 May 2007 13:06:48 -0800

My wife is helping throw a shower for a close friend and colleague. She's looking for good ideas for what to do. The bride is very smart, nice and into DIY type projects. The bride is not conventional and would love something unique and different. Some suggestions already entertained were:

--A cooking lesson, like Thai food or ice-cream making or putting together the perfect Vietnamese summer roll.

--A plants party -- herbs, flowers -- people could pot for themselves and take home?

--Learning ayurvedic scalp massage or reflexology.

--Invitees bringing three favorite recipes, and everyone turns them into a scrap/cookbook for the couple.

Do you have any other ideas? Thanks again.

Help me find a picture, and help me help myself.

ersatzkat — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:56:40 -0800

Two-part question about tracking down a piece of art... Have you found a really good web resource for finding out where a piece of art resides? Someplace where I could go find out who has this Cornell Medici box or that de Kooning angry woman painting?

The reason I ask is that I'd like to know which museum (if any) owns Chagall's "La Mairee". I've googled, and I can't seem to turn it up. I know that means it may be in private hands, but it got me thinking about that first thing I asked. So if you could answer either, I'd appreciate it.

How many camels is my girlfriend worth?

Hogshead — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:50:56 -0800

How many camels is my girlfriend worth? I'm getting married in November, and my bride-to-be's father used to be a senior diplomat in the Middle East. In several Middle Eastern cultures, notably the Bedouin, it's traditional for the groom to pay a "bride price" to the bride's family, usually in livestock.

We've joked about how many camels I owe my future father-in-law, but as a gesture of thanks and to show how much I value his daughter and his contribution to our wedding (he's being extraordinarily generous), I want to pay for a number of the animals to be given to poor communities in north Africa. Oxfam runs a scheme that organises it.

What I need to know is: how many camels is the oldest daughter of a former diplomat worth, in Bedu reckoning? Because the last thing I want to do is undervalue her.

bridal picture obsession, help!

stormygrey — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 08:25:12 -0800

Vanity Filter: Becoming an iconic bride I am really, truly, not vain. I am, however, a historian of sorts and I routinely show teachers and school children how to use primary documents. We run across a lot of old wedding photos and the kids always make fun of the fat or ugly ones. Seeing this I realize that wedding photos particularly have a strong chance of winding up in archives or at least in important family albums that are being passed down the generations.

I am getting married in about nine months and I have become obssessed with the idea that in 200 years someone might be looking at MY picture talking about a typical 21st century bride. So what do you think is an iconic look for our century? I know its weird. I am thinking about everything from dress style, to hair length, to weight.

What do you think is iconic about our age?
Practical tips from other brides on being your most fit and clear skinned with eight months time to prep?

Wedding dress shops in the Bay Area

rorycberger — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 12:57:26 -0800

My fiance is looking for wedding dresses this weekend, and is wondering if anyone has recommendations for stores in the San Francisco Bay Area (esp. SF, Peninsula and San Jose areas). She is looking for places with a good selection of <$2000 dresses. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Ukranian wedding customs, what to know?

absquatulate — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 08:27:53 -0800

A friend of mine (from the U.S.) is marrying a woman from the Ukraine in a month or so. His mother is throwing her a bridal shower in the States and I'd like to make her feel welcome... As far as I know she has spent limited time in the U.S. and all of it since becoming engaged to my friend. She speaks little English (primarily Russian I've heard) and I'm sure moving from outside of Kiev to Flordia will be a big cultural change for her. Do any MeFis have any suggestions for making her feel welcome and (somewhat more) at ease for the bridal shower? Are there any presents or traditions that are considered appropriate or inappropriate for either the shower or the wedding? Thanks in advance for the help!