Definitely check Chadwick's - that's where I found my bridesmaids' dresses.

There's no law that says you have to wear what the stores think you should wear. Choose something you and your daughter like. If that means going online or going farther afield, go!

Hijack:

I finally experienced my first cookie table! But they didn't put the cookies out until after the cake so I was too full to eat any. But yay for my first cookie table!!!

/hijack

BUMP!

How goes the planning? Was the "honorary bridesmaid" issue resolved to everyone's satisfaction?

It's definitely wedding season--lots of my HS classmates are getting engaged, and the hometown paper is filled with engagement announcements!

Ditto, Munchkin. I don't know how many engagement and wedding announcements I have seen in the past month.

In TN, it is only proper that you place an announcement of engagement from 1 year to 1 month away from the wedding. And, you are supposed to place your wedding announcement as soon as the photographer sends back the photo for the paper.

So, with everyone keeping with the social traditions, the paper is flooded with announcements right now.

So glad that you enjoyed it! Although it usually is out and ready to be go when you first enter the reception hall. :)

Carnation, I was just at IKEA, and they had really cute lanterns for about $5.99 - in white, red, dark blue, light blue, and galvanized silver. I got a couple for Christmas time, and when I saw this thread, I was thinking that you could somehow work those into centerpieces or such. The glass has etching on it! Here it is:

http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/29068_PE086219_S2.jpg

Well, everything is kind of quiet now as she just moved back here after finishing her master's and working at a nearby camp. She'll continue to work there until she marries and moves to Macon, where her fiance already lives. He's here this weekend and they may get their engagement pictures made tomorrow.:)

I guess she's doing the honorary bridesmaids but I hope she'll have them do something like read scripture or keep the bridal book...it seems weird to have girls just sitting in the front dressed alike!

Honeychile, I adore those lanterns! I can see them now surrounded with, maybe, holly! How gorgeous would that be?

I have to give/make a few items for a Christmas auction, and that's exactly what I was thinking - lots of holly and maybe a plaid or red velvet bow.

BTW, since you are the horticulturist, when is the best time to prune back my holly bush?

Late winter--after the berry show fades but before the flowers, which will produce berries later, appear.

My holly bushes and I thank you!

:eek: Three months to go--exactly!

The bridesmaids' dresses are ordered and so is the material for the flower girls' dresses. The wedding and reception sites are secured. We have some ideas for the bouquets--hers will be red roses and we're thinking of something white with a red touch for the bridesmaids. Probably not white roses, as they brown so easily.

Now--our question this time: do the groomsmen process up the aisle these days or do they come out with the groom? My daughter swears that at every wedding she's been to lately, the guys have wallked up the aisle with or ahead of the bridesmaids. Any wedding I've been to, they walked out with the groom and stood with him during the whole processional.

The church has one aisle, if that makes any difference.

They walked out with the groom at my wedding 4 months ago. And they walked out with the groom at all the weddings I have been to in the last 5-7 years. BUT, they were all Yankee weddings, so maybe the rules are different down there !? ;) :p

At one of my friend's weddings the girl walked half-way down and then the guy walked up to meet her to escort the rest of the way. It was nice I guess.

At the two most recent weddings I've been to (a good friend got married this summer,and one of my pledge sisters got married last summer), the groomsmen escorted the bridesmaids down the aisle. It worked nicely, AND gave the bridesmaids a little extra stability while wearing fancy shoes! :)

I've been to a bunch of weddings, and I've seen it different ways:

* Groom is at the front w/ his best man, maid of honor comes up the aisle alone, the rest of the bridesmaids are escorted all the way w/ a groomsman

*Bridesmaid comes up and groomsmen meet halfway (I've only seen that once.. it seemed .. different?)

*All groomsmen come up w/ a bridesmaid the whole aisle through

So many have posted their experiences, but I'll just add my own from the past two weddings I've been in (over the past year) :D

Last year, I was escorted down the aisle and back up with the groomsman (this was a wedding in Michigan, and it was a "fan-shaped" church, so I couldn't tell you how many aisles there were)

Last month, I walked in by myself, and the groomsman walked me back out (more of a rectangular church, with only approximately 7 aisles on either side of the church - this was in New York)

I think it depends on what the bride and groom are comfortable with - in the first wedding, it was nice because the girls were wearing "unstable" heels and I KNOW I would have tripped if the groomsman wasn't there, while in the second the shoes were much more stable, there wasn't a lot of room in the church so having the guys go in ahead of time worked well.

In our wedding the groomsmen came up the aisle first, and the best man ( my B-i-l) walked side by side with my husband. They were up at the altar waiting for the processional for us.

On the way back, each groomsmen escorted one of my bridesmaids outs--one guy escorted two of the ladies, one on each arm.

I've seen it done, though, where all the men are waiting at the front, like the wedding that DH was in during the summer

If you're using a coordinator, check with them. I'd also check with your wedding site and ask how they've done it it in the past.

Most important, do what feels right with the bride and groom.