Bridesmaid Therapy

I've looked forward to tonight, Tuesday July 15th, for a couple weeks now.

Not for anything life shattering like DMB front row tickets, but for something I knew would make me smile, laugh and let out all the things you can't say as a bridesmaid. I'm talking about the wonderful world of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC.

Now, I don't care if you're married, single, or engaged, this show is pure entertainment. For me, it's a giant stress reliever. When I'm sitting in a boutique watching my friends try on gowns that are both beautiful and hideous, I can only point out what I like, or which one I like more. I can't sit there and scream "what were you thinking? You're paying $7,000 for THAT!?". Well, that's the magic of Say Yes to the Dress. It documents Kleinfelds in NYC and their day to day (often hilarious, hair pulling, crazy estrogen filled) business. The consultants all have different personalities (and opinions) and watching their prospective on helping a bride find their PERFECT wedding dress is well....perfect. I eat it up. For example tonight there was this total New Yorker bride who visited the store 15 times before she got married! And mind you, I hated her dress! It looked like Scarlet O'Hara met the Pussycat Dolls. Not pretty and not classy, but the fact that I can say this to my TV is amazing and needed!

I also love when that bride tries on that one gown that she knows she's going to get married in. She puts on the veil and suddenly her bridesmaids jaws drop and her mother starts to weep, and suddenly bridesmaidDIVA herself starts sobbing! I don't even know these people!

And with it only being a half an hour you want more!! More dresses, more brides, more madness!!

So tune in to Say Yes to the Dress on Tuesday night at 8PM (eastern central time) on TLC and become a believer!

Weddings at the Box Office

The other day, I found myself watching 27 Dresses to infact (gulp) cheer me up! Maybe it's the fact that I relate to the character a bit, or, James Marsden is just too perfect in that movie to NOT fall in love with (for any of you who have seen it, "Come over here". HELLO!). But whatever the case may be, maybe wedding movies seem to give us a euphoria of the possibility of love, romance, and most of all....all the fun of a wedding without having to leave your sofa!

So, below are some of my favorite wedding movies and why. Maybe they'll get you in the "going to the chapel mood" or...give you hope that one day, your happily ever after will come true! So, in no particular order, please say "I Do" to wedding movies!

1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding - This movie touched so many people, that it's lifetime gross was well over $240,000,000! What the movie really did was teach lessons about growing up and accepting where you come from, but embracing it all together! After you watched it, you felt like you wanted to go to your own Big Fat Greek Wedding:) OPA!!!
2. 27 Dresses - Seriously, bridesmaidDIVA or not, you root for her to find love the whole movie!!! And, after seeing it, how many of us want to play Benny and the Jets at our wedding?
3. Father of the Bride - Probably my all time favorite wedding themed movie. Steve Martin is the perfect over-protective and humble Father who has struggled with "loosing his daughter" his whole life. Honestly, it's a movie I hope to watch with my Dad before I get married. The scene where it starts to snow outside the night before she gets married. . . it's a classic scene. Who doesn't also love an over the top wedding planner who barely speaks English? Fr-ank!
   
4. Wedding Crashers - The only movie that portrays the hunt of men to score at weddings, as being cute! Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are comedic geniuses in this movie! It spawned it's own TV Show, as well as a celebrity crasher - Oprah Winfrey!
5. The Wedding Planner - Matthew McConaughey. Enough said.
6. Sweet Home Alabama - The movie that made women around the world believe in miracles! The fact that men who look like Patrick Dempsey do exist and they can rent out Tiffany's for the night, for you to find the perfect engagement ring! Dream on Ladies!
7. The Wedding Singer - One of my personal favorites, if anything for the clothes, the music and most of all a guest appearance by mister, "white wedding" himself, Billy Idol! Even though it's a silly song at the end, "Growing Old with You" by Adam Sandler still kind of makes me tear up!
8. Made of Honor - Don't watch it with subtitles (Jackie knows what I mean) but Patrick Dempsey trying to convince his best friend that she is the woman of his dreams is worth the $9 and the popcorn!
9. My Best Friends Wedding - Still the one movie that I let myself have that "good" cry with. As much as you hate that's it realistic and it had to end that way, watching Julia at the end give away "her song" to the new bride and groom is gut wrenching! Ice cream and that movie are a good combo! Does anyone remember the singing scene with the lobster claws in the back?!
10. The Wedding Date - If anything for the beautiful setting, but also for Debra Messing who learns to stand up for herself and find love while doing it:)
    

So there you have it...my slight run down of some of my favorite wedding themed movies. What is your favorite wedding movie? What one could you watch over and over again?

Here's to flicks, fun, and love at the movies!

The Gown of HER Dreams

No matter what form of single gal you are; whether you have a boyfriend, are engaged, or are as single as they come...watching a close friend try on wedding gowns can be sometimes very difficult for us single women. We can't help but look at her in that gorgeous satin ivory gown, only wondering when that day will come for us! It's only natural, so really, only feel bad for a split second and then be accepting in these feelings.

To some single ladies, we can keep our own feelings of "when will my day come" subside and just look at a gown, as just that, a gown for our friend. We can see the details we like, heck, we might even cry when we see "the one" on her ( I for a fact cry at the "one" gown for all my friends).

Here are some helpful tips that may make the day somewhat more enjoyable:)

1. Providing opinions for the bride as to what you like/dislike can be difficult, especially if you aren't good with words or thinking on the spot! You now the old saying, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". Well, always try to make light of the things you do like, such as "I'm not sure this cut brings out your best features", not, "You really need to maybe get a size bigger, your rolls are showing". That does not work. (REMEMBER: This will be you one day...and you don't want some dumb bridesmaid telling you that you look "pudgy" in that one.)
2. If you still feel uncomfortable providing opinions, see if you can organize with other bridesmaids and friends that are attending the appointment to create a score tally. Think of the Wedding Singer when they all went to look for the future Mrs. Julia Gulia's wedding dress. They held up score cards, like in the olympics for the dresses! You might be laughing that this is an odd idea, but that way you can provide your opinion without having to necessarily say something! You can also make a pact that you won't give any feedback unless the bride asks for it from her "judges". You don't want to sway a brides opinion and then later on, she wants to strangle you for letting her pick "that awful dress!".
   
3. When she's trying on dresses, offer to try on potential bridemaids dresses for her to see colors/styles and fits. Grab one of your girlfriends (buddy system is key) and try on. That way you can be involved!
4. Take pictures when you are allowed but some places will not allow you.
5. Bring a notepad to write down what you liked and disliked about the dresses. If you have an indecisive bride, who gets confused as to what the last dress she saw was, this will help.
6. Most importantly...know that you were asked to accompany the bride b/c she values your opinion and looks to for support as she plans her big day.

And....when this joyous day is done, make sure you have some Excedrin and a big bottle of wine ready. You're going to need it!

Always a Bridesmaid.....well you know the rest!!!

Greetings Fellow Wedding People!

I am the BridesmaidDIVA, but to some people, I'm just Kate. I decided to start a blog to document this experience. The experience I'm referring to is becoming a Bridesmaid. Now, I have thought about being a bridesmaid my whole life. I always thought to myself just how fun it looked (hey, maybe I was 9 years old at the time watching my cousin get married, but it looked fun) and I couldn't wait to be in a wedding. Well, Karma is a bitch. Currently, I'm in 5 weddings, between November to October of next year.

To some people, this is INSANE. When I tell people that I'm in 5 weddings, I first get the shock and horror look followed instantly by the overwhelming pity. Lately, I've been getting, "Hey, you know that movie 27 Dresses?? That could become your life story". Thanks.

So yes, on to that movie. I saw when it first came into theaters and saw it with my engaged friend thinking it would spark excitement for both of us! Well it did and afterwards we headed to B&N to gather Wedding Books and Magazines. During the movie, I never felt bad for the main character but I thought hey, it's not so bad. (I had been a MOH by that point already). Well.....now 6 months later, and 5 weddings planned, I relate to that character.

Now, don't get me wrong. Every person that has asked me to be in their wedding, I have said yes because I want to be. I'm not a (big) pushover! And, every time I've been asked, I have felt so special and loved. But I have to be honest.....when I was initially getting asked out of the wazoo, I started to feel well.....like a big "oh crap" coming on.

I don't do Kabalah and I'm not in Scientology, but I have to tell you, this wave of calmness came over me one day and I decided that....I would embrace what has happened to me. I can either kick and drag my feet through this whole process or be, a kick-ass bridesmaid and have fun with it. So that is why, I decided to blog my experience. I want to share with every girl who has recently been asked or has been asked 27 times already to be a bridesmaid, the emotions, the struggles, the joy, and most of all the fun. Also, to share tips and stories and recommendations b/c we bridesmaids tend to have some clever ideas up our sleeves.

So that's me, and my decision to become....bridesmaidDIVA.

Now, it's time for the fun to begin.....