Bridezilla or Anti-Bride?
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| Check here for some great non-traditional dresses |
Main Entry: The anti-bride
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: A bride-to-be who would rather avoid the months of tedious planning, being the center of attention, copious amounts of cash splashed and simply head directly to the nearest justice of the peace.
Also known as: the pleaser bride; the codependa-bride
Main Entry: bridezilla
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: The temporary (but potentially long-term) insanity that befalls brides-to-be, such as Elana of New York who ordered $27,435.14 worth of flowers for her wedding, paid for it upfront using a cashier's check, and then turned around and sued her her florist for $400,000 because the colors were a little off. Roses are red, violets are blue, but a bridezilla will sue, if her hydrangeas are of the wrong hue - especially if she is a lawyer.
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: A bride-to-be who would rather avoid the months of tedious planning, being the center of attention, copious amounts of cash splashed and simply head directly to the nearest justice of the peace.
Also known as: the pleaser bride; the codependa-bride
Main Entry: bridezilla
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: The temporary (but potentially long-term) insanity that befalls brides-to-be, such as Elana of New York who ordered $27,435.14 worth of flowers for her wedding, paid for it upfront using a cashier's check, and then turned around and sued her her florist for $400,000 because the colors were a little off. Roses are red, violets are blue, but a bridezilla will sue, if her hydrangeas are of the wrong hue - especially if she is a lawyer.
I loved these examples! They are so true of the past year. I even think I had borderline anti-bride syndrome. While there is nothing wrong with eloping, being intimidated by the planning process, or wanting an intimate wedding to stick to a budget here's how you know if you fall into the Anti-Bride category:
Bridesmaids
So you want your besties to truly wear their dress again right? Telling them a color, style, shoes, and how much to spend seems so demanding? You're probably not the matchy matchy bridesmaid type, and your temp is rising toward anti-bride-itis. Anti brides created the mismatched bridesmaid look! (PS- Thanks for that!)
Thankfully, technology is on your side. To make it affordable site like Rent-the-Runway and Little Borrowed Dress can give the girls a fancy look without breaking the bank. Beware here- timing and a small bridal is key. When renting there's no room for alterations, no room for them to plan to lose weight, and no room to see how it looks. If you're choosing this option you need to be very confident in your girls- but if you're anti-bride that actually has a bridal party, that's saying enough. ModCloth and other online retailers offer great options for your girls to express their style too!
The Dress
Do you remember the Sex in the City scene when Carrie broke out in hives trying on wedding dresses? Do you relate? Would you feel more comfortable in an off-the-rack ensemble like she ended up in? You may have a touch of anti-bride-itis. Anti brides are about comfort and staying true to their style. Luckily for you there is no shortage of white dresses (if you even want to do the whole "white" thing) in the spring/summer season. Even better, some stores have amazing casual bridal lines like BHLDN and Nordstrom, and vintage style finds are always on Etsy. Here's a couple of my faves:
via BHLDN
Reception(and anything else that places you at the center of attention)
Do you fear the thought of making it through the day in heels and have no clue where to find wedding flip-flops? Are you having nightmares about your guests posting video of your lack of rhythm to Facebook? Do you just want your fiance to send an Evite rather than thumb through stationery books and lick stamps? What if they don't like the food? You and your beloved prefer dim-sum and sushi and your fam loves Texas BBQ? What do you do?
Well, if all of the above are true, I would have to diagnose you with a full blown case of Anti-Bride-itis! There are two very important steps here:
First: Don't Panic! Panic is the transition of going from Anti-Bride to Bridezilla. Throwing your hands up and saying I don't care, breaking your family's hearts, and not giving you and your honey even just a second to bask in some kind of limelight will come back to haunt you.
Remember Bridezilla is just someone that gets so wrapped in details (even if its the idea of non details) that she forgets that other people have feelings and just want to share in her day somehow.
While there is nothing wrong with eloping, telling your families in person can help soften the blow when they don't understand your vision or budget constraints. Getting creative and Skyping your elopement, or enlisting the very vehement protesters to help in DIY projects could help everyone too.
Second: Enlist a planner! No this isn't a shameless plug, (well maybe a little) but all the details you hate are the things we live for. We can help you decide on what's really important and make whatever vision you have, no matter how minimalistic come to life. Planners are Bridezilla's Kryptonite. So whether you're just starting the fever, or have a full blown spell, there is hope for the anti-bride! And to the anti-brides of 2012, we thank you for giving us some great style ideas and decor trends!
TTFN
Rachel
Bridesmaids
So you want your besties to truly wear their dress again right? Telling them a color, style, shoes, and how much to spend seems so demanding? You're probably not the matchy matchy bridesmaid type, and your temp is rising toward anti-bride-itis. Anti brides created the mismatched bridesmaid look! (PS- Thanks for that!)
Thankfully, technology is on your side. To make it affordable site like Rent-the-Runway and Little Borrowed Dress can give the girls a fancy look without breaking the bank. Beware here- timing and a small bridal is key. When renting there's no room for alterations, no room for them to plan to lose weight, and no room to see how it looks. If you're choosing this option you need to be very confident in your girls- but if you're anti-bride that actually has a bridal party, that's saying enough. ModCloth and other online retailers offer great options for your girls to express their style too!
The Dress
Do you remember the Sex in the City scene when Carrie broke out in hives trying on wedding dresses? Do you relate? Would you feel more comfortable in an off-the-rack ensemble like she ended up in? You may have a touch of anti-bride-itis. Anti brides are about comfort and staying true to their style. Luckily for you there is no shortage of white dresses (if you even want to do the whole "white" thing) in the spring/summer season. Even better, some stores have amazing casual bridal lines like BHLDN and Nordstrom, and vintage style finds are always on Etsy. Here's a couple of my faves:
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| Free People |
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| via polyvore |
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| via etsy |
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| via Etsy |
via BHLDN
Reception(and anything else that places you at the center of attention)
Do you fear the thought of making it through the day in heels and have no clue where to find wedding flip-flops? Are you having nightmares about your guests posting video of your lack of rhythm to Facebook? Do you just want your fiance to send an Evite rather than thumb through stationery books and lick stamps? What if they don't like the food? You and your beloved prefer dim-sum and sushi and your fam loves Texas BBQ? What do you do?
Well, if all of the above are true, I would have to diagnose you with a full blown case of Anti-Bride-itis! There are two very important steps here:
First: Don't Panic! Panic is the transition of going from Anti-Bride to Bridezilla. Throwing your hands up and saying I don't care, breaking your family's hearts, and not giving you and your honey even just a second to bask in some kind of limelight will come back to haunt you.
Remember Bridezilla is just someone that gets so wrapped in details (even if its the idea of non details) that she forgets that other people have feelings and just want to share in her day somehow.
While there is nothing wrong with eloping, telling your families in person can help soften the blow when they don't understand your vision or budget constraints. Getting creative and Skyping your elopement, or enlisting the very vehement protesters to help in DIY projects could help everyone too.
Second: Enlist a planner! No this isn't a shameless plug, (well maybe a little) but all the details you hate are the things we live for. We can help you decide on what's really important and make whatever vision you have, no matter how minimalistic come to life. Planners are Bridezilla's Kryptonite. So whether you're just starting the fever, or have a full blown spell, there is hope for the anti-bride! And to the anti-brides of 2012, we thank you for giving us some great style ideas and decor trends!
TTFN
Rachel
