Help with Centerpieces & Flowers

[bridetobejan2010]

We're getting married in 13 days on Renaissance Island. My girls are wearing teal/turquoise dresses. I really can't decide on centerpieces (lanterns vs. flowers), flowers (type/color) for the arch, my bouquet and the girls's bouquets. Any Aruba brides out there that have pictures that they can share with me? Thanks so much!!!

[christene]

Here's a real wedding on Ren Island that I think was particularly well done and her color was a teal or turquoise: http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/12/16...gs-alicia-rob/

[Randi]

ok, this may sound stupid but humour me as I have been married for a long time and not exactly "up to date" with some of the newer things that go on at weddings!

WHAT IS TRASH THE DRESS?

[christene]

Ahhhh... Trash the dress! Really its a 'post-wedding' shoot that involves getting dressed back up and being photographed in unconventional locations. Some might just do simple fun photos in unconventional places, others actually 'trash' the dress. It can be symbolic - saying goodbye to the bride / single life or venting frustrations that you might have gone though during wedding planning. Some people figure they will never wear it again so they might as well have fun with it! That was me! (Not the link, but I trashed my dress November 1st.) We went to some ruins (though not the gold mine ruins at the shore) and then to Eagle Beach and actually got in the water with the dress on!

It was so much fun. TTD / post-wedding shoots are a lot of fun because you can just relax - all the stressful stuff is done - you get to just 'play' without any pressure of people waiting for you. Some brides will wear a different dress, like a simple sundress or an inexpensive wedding dress for that shoot, but I wore the real thing - my Romona Keveza gown. I should have the picures any day now and hope to share a couple. (And would you believe the dress came clean!?!?)

Here is an awesome example: http://www.scotthayneblog.com/2009/0...ion-beach-ttd/

[Randi]

ok, call me "old" fashioned(been married 25 years) but if I bought my daughter an expensive gown, I would be SICK if she ruined it that way!! Sorry.....

There are so many things that you can do with your wedding gown, something as simple as donating it to someone who can not afford a wedding gown of their own. In our city we have a charity called Fairy Godmothers. I am sure a charity, similar to this could always find a young woman in need who would appreciate a beautiful wedding gown.

I think I would feel more comfortable with the "alternative" dress but using the real thing........OMG!! JMO!!

Good thing I have sons!

[Karen Lutzker]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. We are leaving for Aruba on Tuesday, January 12th and are renewing our wedding vows for our 50th wedding anniversary on Eagle Beach, Saturday, January 16th, the actual date and day that we were married 50 years ago. In any event, if Renaissance is taking care of the decorations, lanterns are more reasonably priced for table centerpieces then a large flower centerpiece. A lantern surounded by a a few flowers might be the way to go with a vew votive candles on each table. That it is a very romantic look for the evening. For your attendants dresses, hot pink or deep orange would look very beautiful with their color dresses. Makes a beautiful combination for photos againist the white sand and Caribbean sea. We are going home on January 19th and maybe we will be on the island at the same time. Many many years of good health and happiness is wished for both of you :-).

[christene]

Well these days many brides pay for their own gowns. I agree - I could not do this to a gown someone else bought for me but I purchased mine myself. I have another Anne Barge dress that I chose not to wear which I already plan to donate to Brides Against Breast Cancer. They will sell it at a great price to someone else who might not be able to afford such a gown and the money goes to Breast Cancer research / awareness.

The one I wore at the ceremony has sentimental value and will stay with me even though I chose to use it for another once in a lifetime experience. I just got my proofs today and will post some pics in another post. And again - 'Trash the Dress' is a loose term -- it doesn't really have to get trashed. You'll see we did two locations - one not trashed and one trashed. Its definitely something that isn't for everyone but I don't regret it for a second and wouldn't even if the dress hadn't come clean. The veil did get damaged, but it was a $30 veil I bought on eBay for the purpose of the shoot. We still had it preserved anyway. =)

Originally Posted by Randi

ok, call me "old" fashioned(been married 25 years) but if I bought my daughter an expensive gown, I would be SICK if she ruined it that way!! Sorry.....

There are so many things that you can do with your wedding gown, something as simple as donating it to someone who can not afford a wedding gown of their own. In our city we have a charity called Fairy Godmothers. I am sure a charity, similar to this could always find a young woman in need who would appreciate a beautiful wedding gown.

I think I would feel more comfortable with the "alternative" dress but using the real thing........OMG!! JMO!!

Good thing I have sons!

[Karen Lutzker]

Maybe I am old fashioned, but my husband and I are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary on Janaury 16th and for the life of me, I can't understand why someone would want to trash their wedding dress. We were married at a very young age and would never think of doing such a thing. A priest that we know in Aruba once told us that it is not about the wedding day, but how the couple lives their life together. In this day and age, purchasing a wedding dress and having alterations done can be very expensive. There must be more meaningful ways to celebrate on your wedding day then trashing your wedding dress. If the bride has another dress that she purchased just for that purpose and is washable and not dry cleanable, then it is cute to jump in the water for some of your photos. Who would want to ruin a wedding dress? For the life of me, I cannot figure that out

[Sheree10]

Good luck with your upcoming wedding. Maybe Juney can send you some examples of centerpices/bouquets. I'm also getting married on Renn Island but we have a few more months for me to make my decisions. Since turquoise is one of your main colors you may want to find a floral color that blends- maybe shades of whites- roses, lillies, orchids. Christene's link to a past Renn wedd may also giive you some great ideas to help with your decor.

Good luck and let us know how it all turns out!

[Bryan Morris]

Originally Posted by Randi

ok, call me "old" fashioned(been married 25 years) but if I bought my daughter an expensive gown, I would be SICK if she ruined it that way!! Sorry.....

There are so many things that you can do with your wedding gown, something as simple as donating it to someone who can not afford a wedding gown of their own. In our city we have a charity called Fairy Godmothers. I am sure a charity, similar to this could always find a young woman in need who would appreciate a beautiful wedding gown.

I think I would feel more comfortable with the "alternative" dress but using the real thing........OMG!! JMO!!

Good thing I have sons!

Most cases the dresses are not trashed, they might get dirty but nothing that some dry cleaning can't take care of. I've done this Trash The Dress and the client sent her dress to the dry cleaners and donated it to charity.

Bryan Morris