Why I Love Bridezillas

Bridezillas have gotten a bad rap from the media.  If you've every watched the television show called Bridezillas, you've seen loud, demanding brides-to-be snapping at friends and family.  But to me, a bridezilla is simply a woman who knows what she wants and makes it known.  As a wedding planner, I love "bridezillas!" 

The most difficult bride to work with is not the bridezilla but rather the bride that doesn't communicate.  For a wedding planner (or really any wedding vendor), communication with the bride and groom is key.  Our goal is to create the wedding that YOU want, not what we envision or what is "traditional."  So, we have to know your likes and dislikes.  A bridezilla will tell you from the get go.

If, for example, we know that you hate chair covers with bows, we can be sure that the chair covers are wrapped with decorative knots instead.  A bridezilla will say ahead of time (possibly multiple times), "Be sure to check that all of the chair covers are tied with knots instead of bows," and we will tell the chair rental company and put that on our checklist of things to do on wedding day.   A non-communicative bride won't say anything ahead of time but may complain after-the-fact that all of the chair covers had bows.  At the end of the day, the bridezilla was happy and the non-communicative bride was not. So follow the lead of the bridezilla and tell your vendors your likes and your pet peeves.

Bridezillas want their day to go perfectly, so they actually tend to be quite organized and detail-oriented.  I love this about bridezillas because they respond to my questions and meet my deadlines. If I e-mail a bride that I need their final approval on the wedding timeline by a certain date, I really do need a response by that date so that other vendors don't start calling me asking where the schedule is.  A bridezilla will respond on time, if not early.  But getting the response from the non-communicative bride takes a lot more prodding.  And trust me, we hate having to nag as much as brides hate being nagged.
 
One of the wedding planner's many jobs on wedding day is to handle all of the questions and issues that arise from other vendors so that the bride can relax and enjoy the day.  To do that, we have to know every detail about your wedding.  Bridezillas keep their vendors up-to-date with the latest information about their wedding.  They may even go overboard, sending weekly lists or charts.  A non-communicative bride, on the other hand, tells one vendor one thing at some point and the wedding planner another thing at some point, leaving the two of them wondering on wedding day who has the more up-to-date instructions.  In my book, the bridezilla's overly detailed, weekly e-mails beat the non-communicative bride's contradictory, out-of-date instructions any day!

In short, I love bridezillas because they communicate.  They tell me what they want, so I can make sure they do get what they want.  They keep me up-to-date, so I know every detail and can be prepared for their wedding day.  So, I say, let your inner bridezilla out! Communicate with your vendors (especially your wedding planner) so they can create the wedding that you envision.  Just keep the yelling to a minimum! ;)

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Grand Idea: Ring Bearer Bowls

I have to admit that I've never been a big fan of ring pillows in weddings.  After the ring bearer walks down the aisle, what do you do with the pillow?  There's not much of a use for it, but you'll likely have trouble giving it away or tossing it since it's from one of the most important days of your life!  That's why I love Ring Bearer Bowls from Paloma's Nest.

Photo courtesy of Paloma's Nest

These small ceramic bowls are an elegant alternative to a ring pillow.  Each one is handcrafted and stamped with a loving saying.  They can also be customized with words of your choosing.  But the best part is that they can be a lasting keepsake from your wedding.  After the wedding, you can keep it on your dresser to hold your jewelry or you can even use it as an ornament on your Christmas tree. 

photo courtesy of Paloma's Nest

Rather than letting a ring pillow collect dust in a closet, I think using a Ring Bearer Bowl adds a unique touch to your wedding ceremony while also giving you a lovely reminder of your wedding day that you can display in your home.

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Review & Giveaway: Pear Tree Greetings

On my quest to find interesting wedding-related products, I was introduced to Pear Tree Greetings.  The company offers wedding save-the-dates and invitations that you can personalize online yourself.  If you're a funky bride with contemporary style, check out the selection of wedding invitations.  The designs are modern and colorful.

Photo courtesy of Pear Tree Greetings

It's fairly easy to create your invitations by just filling in text boxes with your invitation wording.  To save time, have your invitation wording already in mind before sitting down to order.  Many of the designs allow you to select from 25 different colors for the invitation, so you can easily match your wedding theme.  You'll also be able to customize the font for the invitations' wording.  One of the highlights of creating your invitations online -- no waiting to get a proof back from the printer!  You'll get to preview the invitation right on your screen.  

Photo courtesy of Pear Tree Greetings

Pear Tree prints all cards on 100 lb heavy matte card stock that is made of 100% post-consumer recycled material.  Prices range from about $2 to $3.36 per invitation if ordering about 100 invitations with response cards.  You can also add matching thank you cards, address labels, and favor stickers if you like.

The verdict: Pear Tree Greetings is an affordable option for modern brides.

Giveaway!

This month we're giving away a $25 gift card for Pear Tree Greetings! You can apply it toward your online order for any Pear Tree Greetings product. 

To enter, simply leave a comment to this post by December 20th with an e-mail address to contact if you win.  You'll receive an additional entry if you become a follower on twitter and tweet to us at @CamilleMcLamb.  We will randomly select a winner on December 21st.  If we don't hear back from the winner within one week, we will randomly select a new winner to make sure someone gets the prize!  No purchase is necessary to enter.

Disclosure: Pear Tree Greetings provided the $25 gift card for our giveaway.

Do you have an idea for a wedding product for us to review? Let us know in a comment or e-mail us at info@CamilleVictoriaWeddings.com.

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