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Bridesmaid Dilemma! What Makeup Should I Wear?

bellasugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 06:00:11 -0700

Dear Bella,
I am the maid of honor in my friend's wedding and our dresses are chocolate brown. I am very fair with blond hair and green eyes. Brown has never been a good color for me so I have no idea what sort of colors to use on my eyes, etc. Please help! — Sarah

Dear Sarah,

First off, I can understand your dilemma — as I've been in several weddings myself. From burnt sienna to periwinkle, I've worn it all. Look at it this way. The bride's picked a color that's definitely doable. Hello yellow or orange? Now, that could be more of an issue.

The best advice I can give is to keep your colors light, natural, and modern (but not too trendy). In general, while your bridesmaid's dress should complement your makeup — always match your makeup to you, and not the dress. Although your tones are cool, all of us have some elements of peach, pink, and gold to our skin. Using these hues for your makeup will give you a radiant glow, and accentuate your fair coloring nicely. Also, put the focus on your best feature — your pretty green eyes are going to knock'em out! (Without taking any attention away from the bride, of course.)

For some color suggestions and application techniques for the big day,

Your Two Cents: Is It Rude to Request a Gift Receipt?

SavvySugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:30:29 -0700

A frustrated wedding invitee wrote to Slate's Dear Prudence asking if he's right to judge the engaged couple's actions as rude. The envelope containing the invitation also included a sheet of paper with places the couple is registered, along with the request to please include a gift receipt. The guest thinks the couple is rude for mentioning the gift receipt and feels as though the couple could just be looking for a way to get cash without straight up asking for it. What do you think? Source

Your Two Cents: Is It Rude to Request a Gift Receipt?

Yes, it's rude of the couple to request a gift receipt. They obviously just want cash.

No, it makes sense they'd want gift receipts in case they end up with duplicate items.

Something else. I'll tell you in the comments below.

Where Do You Stand: Taking Dance Lessons Before Your Wedding?

DearSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:00:00 -0700

The first dance as husband and wife is an exciting moment for all newlyweds. Even though all eyes are on them, it's their chance to be close, tell secrets, and just have fun together before mingling with all their guests. As you know, the songs to most first dances are either romantic or they hold a special meaning to the couple, but some opt for a fun twist on the first dance, choreography and all. But even if you don't have some elaborate routine, many couples, especially those with two left feet, need a little help in the dance department. While I think the first dance should come from the heart, tell me where you stand on dance lessons before weddings. Do you think it looks good to have every step mapped out beforehand, or do you think spontaneity is best?

Source

Gifted: Art For Newlyweds

casasugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:30:09 -0700

Welcome to my new feature, Gifted, where I suggest home- and garden-related gifts that are chic, economical, and lovely. For my first post, I was inspired by my need to buy a present for some friends who just tied the knot. If you, too, need to purchase a present for some newlywed friends, consider buying them a piece of art. This is the kind of gift that you should probably consider only if you know their taste; if not, it might be best to stick to the registry. However, if you know them fairly well, you can probably pick out a piece of art that the couple will adore. I'm a fan of the site 20x200, which offers affordable, high-quality prints from emerging artists at low prices. This piece, from artist Linzie Hunter, seems like a cute, unsentimental, yet sincere way of telling the newlyweds "Congratulations on finding each other!" With some matting and a simple black frame, this is a gift that will look lovely on any wall in your friends' new shared home.

Prints start at $20, but hurry — there are only 40 left. You can get yours here.

You Asked: Is She a Bad Bridesmaid or Am I a Bridezilla?

DearSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

I'm getting married in a few months, and I asked my four closest girl friends to be my bridesmaids. Three of the girls have been amazing, but I've been having a lot of issues with the last girl. They were kind enough to throw me a lovely bachelorette party, but they had a hard time settling on the date because the girl in question was always "busy." They finally settled on a date that worked for her, and then three weeks before the party, she called to tell me that she couldn't make it because she decided to take a vacation instead. I feel extremely hurt because I knew the other girls bent over backwards to accommodate her because we all felt it was important for her to attend since she was a bridesmaid. Am I wrong to be hurt that she would miss my bachelorette party so she could go on a vacation instead? — Peeved Penelope

To see DearSugar's answer,

Where Do You Stand? Wedding Roasts

DearSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:00:00 -0700

The rehearsal dinner night has become much more than just practicing your place in the wedding processional. It's become an event all in its own and often ends up being the most fun part of the wedding weekend. Since only the maid of honor and best man are supposed to speak on the actual wedding night, the rehearsal dinner is where the bride and groom's friends can say a few words about the happy couple. I've been to my fair share of weddings so I've heard my share of speeches, and I must say, the heartwarming ones are by far my favorite. Of course, the roasting approach gets people laughing, but there's a thin line that can easily be crossed, especially when there's alcohol involved. I'm sure you've witnessed both variations so tell me, where do you stand on taking the roast approach to a wedding toast?

Source

Handle This: Your Friend Wants to Break Her Engagement

DearSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Your engaged friend has been acting incredibly distant lately. You assume it's because she's planning her wedding, but when you finally get time together, she opens up to you after a few drinks. She tells you that things aren't going well and she's having serious cold feet, to the point that she wants to call off the wedding. You try to calm her down, but the more details she divulges, the more you're starting to think perhaps calling off the wedding is the right decision. You've grown to love her fiancé, and you remember how happy they once were, but you want the best for your friend. You don't want to give her bad advice, so how do you handle this?

Source

Happy Hour: X-Rated Fusion Liqueur

partysugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:00:54 -0700

While I normally prefer a classic cocktail or a glass of good whiskey, I've been known to enjoy a girly drink (or two) in my lifetime. Recently I've become obsessed with this brilliantly pink liqueur, X-Rated ($27).

At first, the cheesy name and vibrant color made me nervous. I was afraid it was going to be overly sweet — more like cough syrup than a luscious liqueur. However, the rosy liquid is absolutely delicious! A fusion of French vodka and organic blood orange, mango, and passion fruit juices, the liqueur tastes fresh not artificial. It's sweet, but not overly so. I served a chilled shot to girlfriends before a night on the town, but it would also be a flavorful addition to specialty cocktails.

If you're hosting a bachelorette party or bridal shower, consider serving X-Rated. Your girlfriends will love the taste and the experience of sampling a new liqueur. A bottle also makes a lovely birthday gift for a fashionable 21-year-old.

Have you tried X-Rated? What did you think?

Cool Idea: Hanging Wedding Flowers

casasugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:45:03 -0700

Miss Cherry Pie recently posted photos of her hanging wedding flowers. She's still perfecting the idea, but I think they look great already. She writes that she "spent some time this weekend with my shepherd’s hooks and cache of jars working out how to attach one to the other. First, I picked out 20 jars of a similar smallish size, and set them aside. Then, I went a-crafting. I took a trip down to Michael’s to pick up some wraphia (aka raffia), a natural-looking, grassy ribbon that’s strong enough to use as a hanger."

Then, she tied the wraphia around the mouth of each jar, fashioning a handle out of it, and hung them from the shepherd's hook. This is such a lovely, simple idea for displaying large flowers. It's a beautiful, easy arrangement for any couple planning a DIY wedding.

Source

You Asked: Do I Have a Right to Be Insulted?

DearSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

My husband's best friend, who has become a close friend of mine as well, recently got married and my husband was a groomsman. I was OK with how consuming that responsibility was until we got to the reception, where everything went downhill. I was excluded from eating with my husband and I didn't get to dance or celebrate with him at all because the groom was occupying all his time. We of course got into a fight that night, and I blame the groom. Am I wrong for feeling slighted by my friend for setting up that recipe for disaster? — Angry Angelica

To see DearSugar's answer,